Inappropriate Commercials on Kids' Networks

Isobel - posted on 10/26/2010

well...how bout inappropriate advertising on the subway then? or out in public? cause marketers will never spend their millions wastefully on disney channel BUT...my kids had nightmares over some of the horror movie posters in the subway...and there are some pretty sexually explicit billboards out there that I really don't feel like explaining to my kids (like one I saw about gay men and syphilis...it was a public health ad)



children seeing inappropriate advertising is a nightmare in general...but being a marketing student, I always look at these as an opportunity to discuss with my kids what the message is and who it's aimed at.



my personal fave these days is American Express' "life is a canvass, throw all the paint you can at it" UGH! after all this fiscal irresponsibility you guys are still trying to sell "buy what you want and who cares about the rest" BULLSHIT!



my kids also mentioned to me that they noticed all the pictures in McDonald's now are of swimming, running, biking, etc...I said "that's cause they want us to feel like we're doing something healthy...but you know we're not, right?"

Morgan - posted on 10/26/2010

I only let my daughter watch treehouse, and I ve never seen an adult type add ever.

Cathy - posted on 10/26/2010

They are completely banned from kids TV stations here (the UK). They are not shown during kids shows on regular TV.

Tampon commercials can be shown at any time of the day but generally not shown during kids TV times, not really in an advertisers best interest to buy slots outside of it's target market.

Any commercials regarding sex cannot be shown pre watershed (before 9pm).

Fastfood commercials have also been banned on kids TV channels and during kids time slots on regular TV stations.

Amie - posted on 10/26/2010

Tampon/pad ads on family channel or something like it in the late afternoon/evening wouldn't bother me. It's geared then for young teens/pre-teens at that time. They are of the age to need or starting to need those. Why wouldn't they want to market to the new generation?

Condoms, I honestly don't think I've ever seen a condom commercial.

Viagra and KY, no. There's no reason to market this to kids, of any age.

Jamie you also did state they DO advertise this stuff already fairly early in the thread. I think most people, like Kati and myself, were responding to that.

Joy - posted on 10/26/2010

If it did happen I'd probably stop watching that channel, just DVR the shows we like, which are commercial free anyhow. It's 25 minutes of show, 5 or 6 solid minutes of commercials, then another show. So the commercials aren't hard to avoid. I'd be ok if it were tampons or at least something "mom" or "kid" related. I don't think I'd be ok with Viagra or ...what's that one with the smiling guy and the whistling....Cialis or something like that? Where he's always the life of the party and has this stupid smile plastered on his face? LOL Sorry, off topic a little ......

Rosie - posted on 10/26/2010

sure in the OP it doesn't state that they are, but you posted that they actually do advertise these things. i guess my response was aimed more towards that.

now, if they were to actually do that, i wouldn't be very happy. i guess i wouldn't care to much about a tampon commercial, but the others i'd be a bit dissapointed, of course.

Joy - posted on 10/26/2010

I'm in Upstate NY and before here we lived in Florida and I've NEVER seen any adult commercials on Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network or any of the kids' channels. It's just toy commercials ad nauseum.

Jaime - posted on 10/26/2010

I'm finding that a lot of people are saying that it doesn't happen. I hope I don't offend anyone in saying that the question was not if you have seen it happen. The questions were, IF it WERE to happen, how would you react to its occurrence and the fact that your child was exposed to something like that?

Bonnie - posted on 10/25/2010

I have never seen any ads or commercials for those types of products during or in between children's shows. My kids watch Treehouse, the Family Channel, and the odd time PBS and never seen it. All i've ever seen are commercials for toys, baby products, and ads for upcoming shows. To me it doesn't even make sense. Why would those companies even want to advertise with those shows; small kids or kids in general are not in the targeted age groups.

Kimberly - posted on 10/25/2010

My daughter is still very young and not watching very much television but I do monitor what she does watch and I have never seen an advertisement for any of the items on the channels you mentioned. I guess if my daughter asked what they were after seeing them, I would answer.

Jodi - posted on 10/25/2010

I've never seen adult product ads on the children's channels we watch.Disney Channel and Cartoon Network is technically geared towards preteens who may use tampons and some may need condoms (sadly). Viagra...well...it's a stupid decision to market something like that to that kind of audience.
IF my daughter ever saw an ad for tampons, condoms, KY or viagra or any other adult product along those lines, I would explain to her what the product is used for honestly (and age appropriately) and probably ban that channel from my household.

Wanda - posted on 10/25/2010

I've never seen any adult advertising on Disney, Treehouse or Nickelodeon - the 3 children's chanels that we watch. We don't watch PBS so I can't say what they advertise. Cartoon Network? Do you mean Teletoon? A lot of that programing is aimed at an older audienece isn't it? Like teenaged and older.

Dana - posted on 10/25/2010

Good point, Krista. ;)

Krista - posted on 10/25/2010

Yeah, I could see stuff like that being advertised maybe at night, but even then...wouldn't you be better off advertising Viagra during a Matlock marathon on TV Land?

Dana - posted on 10/25/2010

I've never noticed any adult products being advertised on kids networks. My son only watches PBS but, even then during cartoons, I see no adult products.

Jodi - posted on 10/25/2010

And I hate the junk food advertising too......

Jodi - posted on 10/25/2010

I was about to say what Sal just said, that advertising is pretty strictly regulated here in Australia. But most of our Pay TV channels (which is where the kids channels are) don't have advertising.



You know, given these companies pay for their advertising slots, it surprises me that they would waste money on THOSE advertising slots.....but maybe advertising bookings works differently where you live?

Isobel - posted on 10/25/2010

ah yes, and junk food, junk food, junk food...how could I have forgotten that?

Sal - posted on 10/25/2010

In aus we are pretty regulated as well, and i have never seen adult ads in kids shows......i do hate the toys, the takeaway and the god dam crappy breakfast ceral ads though....

Isobel - posted on 10/25/2010

Gotta go with the masses here and sayI've never seen such product placement...it's not only inappropriate but stupid...and I don't think most marketing people are that stupid.

why would you spend MILLIONS of dollars advertising viagra to children? What on earth channels are you watching? ...my kids are into the older kids shows and I still only see toys toys toys.

Becky - posted on 10/25/2010

We watch Treehouse and Family channel, and sometimes PBS, and I don't think I've ever seen a commercial for adult products. Most of their commercials are either just advertising their shows or on Playhouse Disney - advertising stuff like the Disney on Ice tour. (which I'm ticked isn't coming to Calgary! - off topic!)

Amie - posted on 10/25/2010

What kids networks?

The only time I've ever seen anything like this is on the cartoon network, at night, when it has adult cartoons on. It's geared for adults then.

Lindsay - posted on 10/25/2010

I'm with Kati. My kids mainly watch Disney and sometimes Nickelodeon and I've never seen an adult product advertised. With Disney, it's really anything other than other shows on the channel or upcoming movies. With Nickelodeon, there are loads of toy commercials and fast food commercials, but that's all I've ever seen.

Rosie - posted on 10/25/2010

i've never seen an adult product EVER advertised on a childrens channel. all i ever see is toys, toys, toys!!

Jenn - posted on 10/25/2010

Well, all the more reason I'm glad I don't have any American channels anymore! I really don't miss them.

Jaime - posted on 10/25/2010

@ Kelly and Jenn, yes, they do have adult commercials on kids' channels. Ads for condoms, Viagra, and KY come on all the time on Cartoon Network, and tampon ads are on Disney and Nickelodeon. This is during the day, when younger kids would be home or would have just gotten home from school. My parents have satellite and my mother was complaining about it the other day.

They don't really cater to the kids' toys anymore. Maybe ten years ago, but not now.

Lucy - posted on 10/25/2010

Like Jennifer, I'm here in the UK where there are pretty strict rules about what can be advertised when, so we don't really have the problem of adult products being advertised during kids TV.

However, I hate the way our children are bombarded with advertising where ever they turn- They even have branded vending machines in some schools! I actually think it should be illegal to have advertising at all during time slots allotted for kids shows or on channels that are purely for kids. We don't have the telly on much in our house, but when we do I only allow the kids to watch CBeebies (funded by the license payer with no advertising) or a carefully selected DVD with no advertising on it. I don't enjoy the idea of my kids being fed the message that they should become good little consumers to lead a fulfilling life.

Jennifer - posted on 10/25/2010

Here in the UK advertising is regulated strictly. We don't have Sky but I know most channels which have advertising tailort th content to the time of day. I have no problem with adverts for tampons but adverts for condoms, viagra and ky jelly shouldn't be on children's channels...but I severely doubt they are here in the UK anyways.

Jenn - posted on 10/25/2010

Do they really have viagra commercials on kids channels?!? I don't know, because we only have an antenna for the tv and when kids shows are on it's either CBC Kids in the mornings or TVO Kids, which has no commercials. But, what do I think of it? Well, I don't understand WHY a company would want to advertise condoms during a kids show. Clearly this is NOT their target audience. I don't know if it really bugs me as much as baffles me. Now if my kid were to come up to me and ask me what those things were I would tell them.

Kelly - posted on 10/25/2010

I don't really think we need restrictions, but then my son only watches PBS and they don't have commercials during the shows...they do have them between the shows though.

The thing is, television time is very expensive and most marketers will buy time during shows their target audience is watching. So commercials for tampons and condoms will more likely be seen during evening dramas geared towards adults and teens who would be interested in buying those products. Commercials for toys and fast food joints will more likely be aired during cartoon shows that younger kids are watching so they can beg their parents for the products.. Thus, it would be a waste of $$ to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to air a condom commercial on Cartoon network.