Who's selling What?!

(Sorry about the quality I couldn't find this clip in a better one.)

This article is about Tory party leader David Cameron’s promise if he is to be elected. His promise is to eventually stop sexual marking and advertising towards young children. He also proclaimed that the Tory administration would not support Government advertising for three years if marketing agencies proactively market products to children. However, Cameron said that, "You can't cut children off from the commercial world, of course you can't, but we should be able to help parents more in terms of trying to make sure that our children get a childhood and that they are not subject to unnecessary and inappropriate commercialisation and sexualisation too young."

There was a report last year that the ASA received about 799 complaints about marking to children. Sadly, only 28 of the complaints were upheld. The Tory party wishes to make the process of expressing concerns about advertisements from parents easier if they feel as if their child is being sexualized. Cameron feels strongly about changing the way online social networks advertise to children such as Facebook and Bebo.

Children as young as seven have become ‘min-marketeers’ in order to promote brands such as Fanta and Nintendo by spreading the news through their Facebook friends. This “controversial form of stealth marketing” is very discreetly interlaced into everyday conversation between children through online conversations and postings that “return for payments equivalent to up to £25 (about $39).”

One such company that exploits min-marketeers is the Dubit Leeds-based agency which promotes drinks such as Coca-Cola, Cheestrings, and Barbie MP3 players. The agency says that children should be advertising because they are “key campaign messages to friends, both on and offline.” They tell kids how to pitch to their friends by telling them how to think about the product and what is the best way to tell your friends about it and to not “start a chat about the project – it’s best to look for natural opportunities to drop it into the conversation.” The director of Dubit’s did however say that “anyone under the age of 16 must have explicit verbal parental consent to take part.”

David Cameron is aggressively seeking to stop marketing and advertising agencies such as Dubit to stop using and taking advantage of young children.

Last week I did an article review on energy drinks and cigarettes and I brought up the point briefly about how cigarette companies have certain advertising restrictions about marking to a young audience. I found that interesting but then in my mass media class, the lecture was about ethics which included a short talk about child advertising. I found this to be VERY interesting and wanted to do this week’s blog concerning this controversial topic.

Something that has been in the news not too long ago was the controversy of the Jonas Brothers and the purity rings. The boys claim to live in chastity while they are covertly selling sex (just like Britney Spears). Disney exploits the boys’ “attractiveness” and “eroticism” because sex sells very well. Jonas Brothers: 3D Concert Experience was a step up technological speaking (probably not in quality) from the Miley Cyrus movie which is a good “clean” way to make a profit. The premise of the concert is mostly concentrated on their at the time latest CD “A Little Bit Longer” and guest singers Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift. There are apparently a number of behind-the-scenes shenanigans that is inspired by “A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles in which girls run after the boys around New York City. Disney used narrowcasting in the production of this movie; they were mainly making this movie for their already devoted fans and not to obtain new ones. Is there anything wrong with having a purity ring – no – I believe that is a personal choice; however, do not use this moral object in order to make money. The boys claim to be a rock ‘n’ roll band that is in complete contrast to the message sent by the rings. I believe the brothers have been manufactured by Disney that is able to do whatever they wish with them.

What I want to know from you, my dear reader, is what do you personally think about the Jonas Brothers "selling sex" and/or these ‘min-marketeers’. Do you think this is a good platform to run on for David Cameron?

sARAH