Two weeks ago, Ofcom, an independant regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, announced that all junk food ads aired during TV programs targeted at children 16 years and under will be banned at the end of January 2007. It's estimated that the ban will reduce ad revenue by £39 Million annually. What might this have to do with American audiences you ask? Well, as millions starve in 3rd world countries, Western Nations have been fighting a losing battle against childhood obesity, and in response, the AAP, American Association of Pediatrics, demands cuts in children-targeted advertising, including junk food in their recent medical journal.
Though few believe that the AAP's demands will be met, it's something to consider. Some of my most fond memories of waking up on Saturday mornings involved quoting for verbatum "Leggo of my Eggo," "Don't push me, push a push pop," and my personal favorite, "I want a pop, pop, pop. Shhhhhhasta!". Could you imagine a world void of junk food ads? Heaven forbid! However, the chances of these ads disappearing in the near future are a reality we have to face as children continue to burst at the seams. Personally, I feel that targeting advertisers is a terrific ploy to scapegoat an industry already hated by many Americans, but fails to address the real problem of the ever evolving difficulties of parenting in a media saturated world.
So the next time you see your favorite Coco Puffs ad, I recommend you pull out a blank VHS (remember those) and record it, because it just may not be around tomorrow.
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