What's the difference between food-related ads on commercial networks and sponsorship announcements on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) shows? According to a recent study, not much!
Susan Connor, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University, watched 16 hours of television programming aimed at toddlers and preschool-aged children on each of three stations: Nickelodeon, Disney, and PBS. In the 48 hours of programming, the three stations aired a total of 130 food-related advertisements. Seventy-six of the ads were aimed specifically at children and 68 of the 76 ads were for fast food chains or sweetened cereals. The ads appealed to children using images of fun, happiness, excitement, and energy. The fast food ads worked on building brand recognition, often using licensed characters, logos, and slogans.
Disney aired the fewest ads (26), but all were aimed at children. PBS aired 65 ads with 38 (59%) aimed at kids. Nickelodeon aired the most ads - 283 with 153 (54%) aimed at children.
Dr. Connor stated that "Promotional spots on advertisement-supported (Nickelodeon) and sponsor-supported (PBS and Disney) networks took similar approaches and used similar appeals, seeming to promote the equation that food equals fun and happiness." She goes on, "Preschool-aged children are likely to view advertisements as objective statements of fact, that is, unbiased informational pieces designed to tell them about a toy or food product, and lack the ability to comprehend an advertisement's intent to sell."
Pediatrics, 10/06
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