Friday
Mar042011
Do advertisers just think parents are this stupid? Or are they?
Friday, March 4, 2011
We all like to laugh at advertisements that are so ridiculous that they are funny. But are they really harmless? Advertising Standards Canada doesn't think so and it has launched a public service announcement on truth in advertising. The campaign is called Dressing it Up Doesn't Make it True and they've created this great television ad to go along with it.
I think this is an important message. But how many companies do? It is easy to come up with a list of misleading advertisements that have "dressed up" products as something they are not. Some of these are even from companies that are members of Advertising Standards Canada.
I hope that most parents are laughing instead of being convinced (consciously or unconsciously) when watching ads as ridiculous as these...
Yes, babies are fussy sometimes. No, switching to formula will not magically make the witching hour go away and turn your baby into a non-stop giggling machine.
Nutella would like you to believe that it is a key ingredient in a nutritious breakfast and that it is made up of "wholesome quality ingredients like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of delicious cocoa."
They would like desperately to hide the fact that the first two ingredients are sugar and palm oil.
People think germs are really scary. Lysol wants to convince parents that they should spray their baby's toys with toxins. Who cares about the long-term effects of nasty toxins, if we can avoid getting a virus this week, then WIN!
Why worry about the environment when you can stuff the landfill full of more disposable towels?
What do you think of these ads? Do you have any favourite (or not so favourite) misleading ads? Is truth in advertising too lofty a goal?
Thank you to Rebecca from A Little Bit of Momsense for suggesting a couple of the videos.
I think this is an important message. But how many companies do? It is easy to come up with a list of misleading advertisements that have "dressed up" products as something they are not. Some of these are even from companies that are members of Advertising Standards Canada.
I hope that most parents are laughing instead of being convinced (consciously or unconsciously) when watching ads as ridiculous as these...
Probiotics in Formula Make Babies Laugh Uncontrollably
Yes, babies are fussy sometimes. No, switching to formula will not magically make the witching hour go away and turn your baby into a non-stop giggling machine.
Ignore the First Two Ingredients
Nutella would like you to believe that it is a key ingredient in a nutritious breakfast and that it is made up of "wholesome quality ingredients like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of delicious cocoa."
They would like desperately to hide the fact that the first two ingredients are sugar and palm oil.
Spray Your Baby's Toys with Chemicals
People think germs are really scary. Lysol wants to convince parents that they should spray their baby's toys with toxins. Who cares about the long-term effects of nasty toxins, if we can avoid getting a virus this week, then WIN!
Sharing Towels is Gross
Why worry about the environment when you can stuff the landfill full of more disposable towels?
What do you think?
What do you think of these ads? Do you have any favourite (or not so favourite) misleading ads? Is truth in advertising too lofty a goal?
Thank you to Rebecca from A Little Bit of Momsense for suggesting a couple of the videos.
Reader Comments (74)
I love this whole post. I very frequently rant aloud after seeing these commercials - the Nutella one had me laughing, because I've only ever used the stuff for making desserts. I mean, come on - here's some frosting for breakfast, kiddoes!
The hand towel one just makes me sad. So many kids are completely oversanitized now that they get sick at EVERYTHING. Add to the fact that many of them were never breastfed and - well, it's just sad that there are so few defenses available to them.
I have a hard time with characterizing these kinds of ads as misleading. They are, after all, ads. Any ad should be taken with a grain of salt. It's up to the consumer to check out a product and see if it meets with THEIR standards.
What these companies are playing on is the consumer's desires - whether real or created. We don't want GERMS! on our kids because we mistakenly believe that they'll be healthier - they won't. Actually they'll be less healthy.
It's about being an educated consumer. Those companies are trying to sell product. It's up us to call bullshit.
Really enjoyed the collection of ads, well put together Annie, so interesting : )
I'm so glad to hear how you shop! This is a lightbulb moment for me. I'm so glad you have your blog. We have totally changed our buying habits and we did join a vegetable CSA in 2010 for the first time. But, we have not been actively talking about the WHY and HOW behind our food choices with our kids.
Although we do not grocery shop with our kids (my husband does the shopping late at night at 24 hr stores, it's his "thing") we can certainly talk about the foods when we are eating them. And we can make a point to bring the kids every once in a while to help them understand the shopping experience and more importantly, help them understand the nutrition behind in the foods we choose.
Honestly, this is a huge lightbulb moment and I'm excited about it! I have seen how quickly my kids have soaked up other concepts we have taught them or modeled: being polite, sharing, working in the yard with plants, taking gentle care of baby sister... I know there is a great opportunity to teach them. :)
It is mind boggling to me that in 2011 any company would come out disposable "hand towels" for the home. What the effing eff? Almost as bad as Del Monte's new "green" individually wrapped bananas:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/03/greenwash-watch-second-skin-banana.php
Seriously, WTF.
Of course "Nesquick" has vitamin D in it. The MILK they mix it with is the source of it. On the "ready to drink" stuff they even they phrase it on the label as "milk with vitamin d palmitate." *pulls hair out*
I commend you for not throttling the Nesquick display.
Sigh. Great post. Love this whole thread. I can't understand, when all the ppl here and all the friends I talk to, are ad-savvy...where are these ppl who believ thes ads? And they ARE out there...it is obvious they are out there or there wouldn't be all these lousy products making profits.
Perhaps I've missed discussion of it in the posts above, but there's a commerican I've seen a a lot lately, and it's driving me BANANAS. It's the Nestle Pure Life commercial that says something like, "Your kids don't jump into a nice, cool pool of high fructose corn syrup, do they? Embrace the natural goodness of water!" Then it shows kids drinking out of PLASTIC BOTTLES (probably lined with BPA, I'll betcha). God forbid they either drink out of the tap or filter it into a reusable, safe container. And I love how they try to differentiate themselves from the "bad guys," nevermind that I'm 100% positive they make and market goods with HFCS in them. Good ol' Nestle--they can commercialize (and ruin) anything.
I bought my son a mix to use for a school baking project. He came home and was suspicious of the entire endeavour because it wasn't like baking at home, where you have to add more than an egg and some water. :)
I think they market rice crispie squares to the people who don't have time for the pre-made cookie dough. :)
If I'm watching a show on TV, I hit mute when the commercials come on, I just can't stand hearing the BS that's being spewed out... drives me crazy! I think the one with all the sumo wrestlers being labelled as sexy has got it goin' on!
I can't stand how they use children in some advertising. As an example: there are some mini-van commercials where a little girl tells us about how she loves the van because of the different features. I'm sure that little girl really doesn't care about the features, but now she knows she can get money if she lies on camera.
I dislike all of those gerber formula and toddler meal commercials, as well as the Lysol ones, but the ones that really burn me up are the Pampers with Drymax ones. Sorry, but who in the world would want to leave a wet chemical filled diaper on their kid for hours so that playtime "never ends?" groce. The drymax diapers have nothing at all, besides an extremely thin top sheet, protecting the baby's sensative behinds from the absorbant gelling material, not even fluff is added to the gelling material to give it more padding anymore. I stay away from disposable diapers anyway and use cloth ones for my 2 year old. We will be using cloth for the newborn who is due in a few weeks as well.
I just want to add that my twin sister, who is a nurse, recommended that I steer clear of the dry max diapers as well.
The advertisement that really gets under my skin is the Nutella ad claiming it to be part of a nutritious breakfast! I cannot believe that with all the problems now with juvenile diabetes and childhood obesity rates that this type of advertising is allowed on air!
What I've always loved about Nutella commercials is that it explains that they're full of energy. Well given that a calorie is a measure of energy, I guess that *is* completely true.
[...] the manipulative ads, but with stupid people who believe them. If we could get rid stupid people, manipulative ads would totally be [...]
A lot of the in-home care providers, and some of the centers here, advertise that they use Your Baby Can Read as their curriculum. It's a red flag for me that they have no clue about the developmental needs of the kids in their care but it seems to draw parents in. It's sad.
Are parents lazy or stupid? All of us are busy. Some of us are busier than others. I know when I am in a bind or in a stressful situation (i.e. my MIL has been very sick for the past few years), I am less likely to think about what I am buying and more influenced by claims advertisers may make. My rules bend. Things are more flexible than usual. And after a while, I start to believe that makes my life healthier and/or more convenient. I like to think that I don't do this but unfortunately, I am sure we all fall victim to this logic at times.
That being said, I still believe we personally eat pretty healthy as a baseline and even when we "fall off the wagon," we are still doing okay.
In addition, it just sometimes seems overwhelming to be an expert at picking apart ads/products for the environment, health, sunscreen, food, cleaning supplies (just baking soda & vinegar for us now) parenting, etc... I could make myself crazy researching everything! (and often do!) I have often fantasized about moving into the country and creating a self-sustaining farm just so I don't have to worry about it. So are parents lazy/stupid? Maybe, maybe not-maybe exhausted would be a better word. :)
This is my favourite topic at the moment - the impact of advertising on parenting! It appears however, that some parents find the notion that they are influenced by advertising highly offensive. We are ALL influenced as we live in a culture of advertising - how can we not be? It not only influences us to buy certain products but influence how we feel about ourselves and others, what we value and how we see the world.
Cocoa pops and nutella advertising drive me nuts - on what planet is Chocolate for breakfast a nutricious start to the day?
Amusingly (?), Lysol started as a douche for women. Ugh.
Lol i like nutella, dont get me wrong, but when did chocolate become part of a balanced breakfast anyway??
That's disgusting.
[...] PhD in Parenting has a great post about advertising. This is quite amusing in places. [...]