1. TECHNIQUES USED TO
ADVERTISE TO KIDS

2. Ideal Kids
• The kids in commercials are often a little older and a little
more perfect than the target audience of the ad—they are,
in other words, the role models for what the advertiser
wants children in the target audience to think they want to
be like.
• Example—A commercial that is targeting 8 year olds, for
instance, will use 11-12 year olds.

3. Ideal Kids—What to Write in Notes
• Kids are often a little older and a little more perfect than
the target audience of the ad.
• Example—Uses 11-12 year olds for a toy designed for an
8 year old.

4. Heart Strings
• Commercials often create an emotional ambience that
draws you into the advertisement and makes you feel
good. We are more attracted to things that make us feel
good.
• Example—The “I am going to Disney” Commercials.

5. Heart Strings—What to write
• Ad uses emotions to attract us to the product.
• Example—The “I am going to Disney” Commercials.

6. Amazing Toys
• Many top commercials show their toys in life-like fashion,
doing incredible things. Airplanes do loop the loops, cars
do wheelies, and dolls cry.
• Most toys don’t do these things in real life.

7. Amazing Toys—What to write
• Show toys doing incredible things.
• Most toys don’t do these things in real life.

8. Life Like Settings
• Barbie struts her stuff on the beach with waves crashing
in the background, space aliens fly through outer space.
• These things do not come with the toys.

9. Life Like Settings—What to write
• Toys are shown in real settings doing things.
• Example: Barbie’s Dune Buggy does not come with a
sand beach, but the commercial might show one.

10. Sounds good
• Music and other sound effects add to the excitement of
commercials. Sounds can make toys seem more life like
or less life like, as in a music video. It sets the mood.
• Example—Fun dance music playing in the background of
the commercial for a new doll.

11. Sounds good—What to write
• Music and other sound effects add to the excitement of
commercials and set the mood.
• Example—Fun dance music playing in the background of
the commercial for a new doll.

12. Cute Celebrities
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sell pizza, Joe Cool sells
cigarettes. These are ways to get kids to identify with the
product.
• Example—Kraft Mac and Cheese and Spongebob.

13. Cute Celebrities—What to Write
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sell pizza, Joe Cool sells
cigarettes. These are ways to get kids to identify with the
product.
• Example—Kraft Mac and Cheese and SpongeBob.

14. Selective Editing
• Selective editing is used in all commercials but especially
in commercials for athletic toys like Frisbees and
footballs. The commercial will show amazing catches and
brilliant throws but most kids won’t get the same results.
• Example—Nerf football or dart gun.

15. Selective Editing—What to Write
• The commercial will show amazing catches and brilliant
throws but most kids won’t get the same results.
• Example—Nerf football or dart gun.

16. Family Fun
• “This is something the whole family can do together!”
Many of these commercials show parents and kids
playing with these toys together.
• Example—Very common for board games.

17. Family Fun—What to write
• Many of these commercials show parents and kids
playing with these toys together.
• Example—Very common for board games.

18. Excitement!
• Watch the expressions on the kids’ faces. They are
happy and never bored.

19. Excitement!—What to Write
• Watch the expressions on the kids’ faces. They are
happy and never bored.
• Example—You never see kids fighting, yelling, or crying
over a toy not working.

20. Star Power
• Sports heroes, movie stars, teenage heartthrobs tell kids
what to eat and wear. Stars get paid to do this, but it
looks like they LOVE the product.

21. Star Power—What to Write
• Sports heroes, movie stars, teenage heartthrobs tell kids
what to eat and wear. Stars get paid to do this, but it
looks like they LOVE the product.

22. Examples of Commercials
• Ideal Kids
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD-wp0O7G4o (Play-Doh Burger Factory)
• Heart Springs
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVKOSaBGPQE (Disney World—Making
Memories)
• Amazing Toys
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsZ6FrxgTs8 (Hot Wheels HeMan)
• Life-Like Setting
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9dvknOCdCY (GI Joe Shark)
• Selective Editing
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0l5uxE4oMI&playnext=1&list=PL42D5AA3F36
992BC8 (Target Nerf Commercial)
• Star Power
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eqUClCSdGw (Proactive Jessica Simpson)
• Sounds good
• Cute Celebrities
• Family Fun
• Excitement

23. Assignment
• Find 2 kids commercials from YouTube
• View them
• Tell what technique is used (there may be more than one)
• Email your link and explanation to Mrs. Ferris