My kids are about to go to bed, and KO is on....

[The Doctor.]

A segment comes up about this alcoholic beverage with catchy packaging and flair. "Spikes" by Anheuser-Busch.

My children, right now, are five and four years old. The greatest response they display to anything on TV is when Spongebob or 'Dora the Explorer', or heavily kid-targeted toy adverts with lots of colors and to which the two children say, in chorus, "I want that!".

Then the 'Sparks' segment plays on Keith Olberman. The contention is that the marketing is directly targeted at young people.

As I'm watching, I hear something all too familiar; "Dad?", The girls says, "I want sparks!", the boy says, "I want mango!" (sparks product).

What more can I say?

I've seen many cognitive and behavioral studies, and I can say that this one example was as close to definitive as any.


Does anyone have anything to say for Anheuser-Busch?

(S'ok, cut loose... the kids are in bed.)

[DesertRat]

1. That is frightening

I saw the segment and the Mom was talking about the danger of this being popular with high schoolers during prom season. Who knew that it would appeal to preschoolers!!

[The Doctor.]

2. It really took me back a little...

and I consider myself fairly savvy when it comes to the psychological manipulation in advertising.