Market to Parents—Not Children!

By Josh Golin

As families struggle to cope with the growing economic crisis, they won't be getting any relief from the toy companies that bombard children with ads during the holiday season. Even though experts predict parents will spend less on toys and gifts this year, marketers are still planning their usual holiday ad blitz to kids.

It's never fair for corporations to bypass parents and market directly to children. But with parents everywhere worried about making ends meet, it's especially cruel to bombard children with ads for expensive toys and electronics. That's why we're launching a campaign to urge major toy companies and retailers to market to parents—not children—this holiday season.

Tell Toy Marketers: Target Parents, Not Kids, With Holiday Ads. [1]

Even in better economic times, holiday gift-buying can be a considerable strain on family budgets, with many parents carrying credit card debt for months or even into the next holiday season. Given the strains of this economic downturn, it's imperative that companies refrain from exacerbating family stress by flooding children with ads for holiday gifts that their parents may not be able to afford.

We understand that manufacturers need to create awareness of their products. But they can do so by advertising directly to parents instead of using the advertising to enlist children as lobbyists for their holiday gifts. Since parents will be making the difficult purchasing decisions this holiday season, they should be the targets of any commercial appeals. A barrage of holiday marketing aimed at children too young to understand the economic crisis will create unrealistic expectations and make parenting in these uncertain times even more difficult.

Today, CCFC sent a letter to the CEOs of 24 toy manufacturers and retailers calling for a moratorium on holiday advertising targeted at children. Now they need to hear from you. Please take a moment to tell marketers to leave kids alone this holiday season by visiting salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/621/t/6914/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26139 [1].

And please, share this message with family and friends.

Please visit the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood's website at:

www.commercialfreechildhood.org [2]