DOCUMENT RESUME ED 071 409 EM 010 649 AUTHOR Choate, Robert B. TITLE The Eleventh Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Covet My Child's Purse. INSTITUTION Council on Children, Media, and Merchandising, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 10 Nov 71 NOTE 54p.; Speech presented to the Federal Trade Commission (Washington, D. C., November 10, 1971) EDRS PRICE MF-60.65 HC -$3.29 DESCRIPTORS. Broadcast Industry; Childhood Attitudes; *Children; *Ethical Values; Ethics; Fede- Legislation; Marketing; Mass Media; *Media .esearch; Merchandise Information; Merchandising; Production Techniques; *Publicize; Public Relations; Salesmanship; *Television Commercials; Television Research; Television Viewing ABSTRACT In an appeal before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) , the author p1eaded for governmental action to restrain _national advertisers from "unscrupulous and erroneous advertising pitches aimed at children." Citing the principal media for child-targeted advertising, (comic books, youth magazines, school displays and radio and television), the speaker exposed the present-day practices in the marketing of toys, pills and edible products. The relationship between "misleading, often seductive advertising" and over-the-counter drugs and non-nutritional foodswas explored. Mr. Choate was_critical of previous attempts at advertising reform and points out several areas where, he said, the advertisers failed to follow through with previous pledges assuringmore straightforward ads. In conclusion, he called for more regulation, particularly by the FTC, Federal Drug Administration, and Federal Communications Commission, to tightly restrain the country's merchants from "coveting our children's purses." A listing of the fifth largest food companies and their advertising agencies is provided. (MC) El EVEIITH COZ,114ADD',.rENT: THOU SHALT NOT COVET AY CHILD'S l'Ultrri, U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIG INATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN- IONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDU CATION POSITION OR POLICY Statement of ROBERT B. CHOATE Chairman COUNCIL ON CHILDREN, MEDTA ATD NEFLUA/B)1S1NG Beforethe Federal Trade Commis:0.cm NOvember 10, 1971 13116 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, P.C. 20036 THE ELEVENTH COMANDIIENT: THOU SHALT NOT COVET MY Ch PURSE The pre-reading child, the primary student, and the sooretto-Le- teenagers represent a new frontier to the hardsell advertisers of the Unite0 States. Their excesses of the past two decades invite the Federal Trade Comnission not only to establish a special staff on trade practices touard children, but also to suggest a whole new group of standards and regulations. Those who advertise to childrenfor the purpose of selling to them or through them--indscapably also are advertising to the child the ground rules of the private enterprise system. Today's child has learned more about Madison Avenue's techniques than about the economists' dream; in the process, according to Professor Scott Ward of the Harvard Business School ,he has become a skeptic at the age of ten. Can we really expect children to support our economic way of life while ve exploit than fromthe age of tiro as we do? The principal media for advertising to children are: comic books, youth magazines, back-of-the-box coupons, school displays,packa:.;e inserts, radio and, of course, television. The principal objects advertised to children for their cal use are: toys, edible products including beverages, sportshero items, phonograph records, moneymaking bonanzasand vitamin pills. Seasonal for variations are noticeable. Scare packets, for instance, were in vogue reaches its Halloween last month. In the pre-Christmas season, the crescendo annual peak. This paper will review 1.:esent-day practicesin the advertising and books, selling of toys, pills and edibleproducts through the media of comic Certainly there are many back-of-the-box coupon arrangements andtelevision. advertisers, worthwhile products for children, and morethan a handful of ethical found in but the immoderate, misleadingand often fraudulent sales patterns Certainly the practices wehere describc this country beg for special FTC action. testimony thus far offeredby those who toil make mockery of thesanetimonious in Puffville. THE ELEVEI 2 GENEML VIS Advertisements to children should be analyzed, both on an individual "aasiz and on a mass impact basis. A review of today's Saturday morning television advcrtis;..: to children reveals that : children arc used to sell to adults; imprudent aequisitim% of goods and consumption of foods without moderation is an over-riding message; coat is, apparently unimportant; advertising to the child is less than fully honest. The absence of commercials selling good books or advocating what once was called "seeious" music or recommending to a child that he leave his indoor genes and enjoy outdoor recreation .without artificial propscan warp a child's valaes. Artifici-* games, requiring solely the talent of winding up a racer or putting a marble in a doll's mouth, seem to leave out the skills required in the gams of yesteryear, where one sought to score point3 in a contest or make the rightjudgment in a t' :st of wits. One very astute Yother recently commented that perhaps, we critics of children's television arc off on the wrong track. She pointed out that the varld is becoming like television - -the world is chan6in1 to reflect the values and activitiesstaralsa,i on the Tube. Perhaps games are also becoming like television: to win Lilton-Bradica'a game "Don't Catch a Cold", you knock outthe evil cold bug monster with a pseudo vitamin pill. Here is the game. What erroneousinformation it coveys!! Despite the National Association of Broadcasters' ToyGuidelines, and despite careful perusal of the small print in toy advertisements, it isdifficult to. judge the size or volume pf many productswhich are offered. This has Jon.: been fill may a concern with foodproducts, where a strangely shaped container or slack Slack fill Ilea been mean that you are gettingless of the product than you think.' food, but the subject of concern to the Food andDrug Administration as it applies to MILT, Federal Trade Commiszion must become moreconcerned about "slack fill" in toys. a toy is thoroughlydisguised by the box it comes in. Labeling Dranh, Office of See statement of JohnGomilla, Chief, Fair Packaging and et' Davia Compliance, Food and Drug Administration,at the Univerzity of California PaA(1.6inf; Octar.r 19, 1971. THE ELEVENTH CO:f.itAl;DMENT I do not totally object to selling tochildren; but I think it can Lc done in a manner which will help them learn prudentconsumer habits, such as judging t}'c size, shape, volume, unit price or nutritionalworth of a product. Careful selling to children can create habits of thrift andcareful selection, while honestly promoting specific products that one might need. The supermarket shelf represents a magnificent opportunity ."or teaching a child about numbers, letters, words, trigonometry, geometry, weights and measures and unit pricing.The side of the food box could represent a first-class course in nutrition education. The selling of cars, trucks and motorcycles could teach safety and driving skills, instead of just encouraging a desire for speed. In short, good advertising to children will produce marketing scouts inste%d of marketing skeptics, and their shopping habits will strengthen the private enterprise system far more than sugar coating and puffery. Kids can learn to be cautious without learning to distrust - even hate - their econcuic system. Let us now look at some of the present practices in selling to and through children. ,TOYS AED COMICS From time immemorial, toy vendors have sought.to catch the eye of the child. The last forty years have witnessed the conversion of the low key pitch to an entranced child into a hard sell propaganda campaign that seems to equate acquisitivcnes:., jealousy and materialism with the tenets of the golden rule. Advertising to children today often seems to -..)sVI, intentional seduction cf the innocent. As a resuat of this campaign, children no longer enter a toy store te'And up the spring or push a button; thechild now is programmed to send in The coupon or merely plunk down the money for aproduct whose advertisements he has seen and believed; he carries away an unopened box,confident that the contents are an glamorous and realistic as the advertisementwhich persuaded him. TH.E ELEVENTH COMMID:.T.ENT An example of this persuasioncan be found in any children's comic book, which is filled to overflowing with coupons and fantastic once-in-a-lifetim offers.' will showyou several examples of these ad pagei, but a few quotations here may suggest the ethics of these advertisers: "50 little dolls that delight the heart of every child! The wonder of this unprecedented offer is that every doll is made front beautiful high-quality Styrene plastic and hard synthetic rubber. You get BABY DOLLS, NURSE DOLLS, DAECILG DOLLS, FOREIGN DOLLS, CLOWN LOLLS, COWBOY DOLLS, BRIDE DOLLS and many more in lilliputian cuteness and clothes for each made of durable vinyl in a variety of designs! Your daughter or your niece or the cute child next door will love you for this gift. She will play with them for months and not grog: weary of them. That a family for a little girl! Just think of it -- 50 exquisite little dolls with clothes for each doll, in beautiful high-impact styrene plastic and hard synthetic rubber at this unbelievable price!" 1 "Kenner's Newest Racers...SSP Super Sonic Poyer...Collect 'em! Race 'en' World's Fastest Racers!" 2 "Join Now! America's only Monster Fan Club...AllSOLUTELY FREE! (ITA'iv .LIFE SIZE MOON MONSTER...over 6 feet tail! Horrify;ng! Exciting! Thrilling! ...It's all FREI: when you join the monster fan club. Membership fee $1...no dues or other charges. Hurry...Be the first!" 2 Mr.