Blog Post #7: Influencing or Advertising

Are cartoons just for kids? I think most people would say no. In fact, many have written on the cartoons specifically targeted at adult audiences. If this is the case, why is the use of certain products placed in cartoons banned? The obvious answer would be that people would not want their children picking up bad habits from their favorite cartoon characters, but where will this end.Who is to say kids will pick up these habits?

Below you will find a Winston cigarette commercial featuring the Flintstones. In it, Barney, Fred, and Wilma all are smoking. Obviously this was before it became illegal to do so, and it was before many understood the risks involved in smoking. I am in no way advocating smoking or cartoon characters doing so.This is an example, however, of adult product placements in a cartoon.

Growing up I remember many of my favorite cartoon characters getting drunk. Though the bottle was never labeled, it was simply understood. Did this mean my childhood friends and I attempted to get drunk? No. My father used to sit and watch these cartoons with me. Had some name brand been on the bottle, this would have been an excellent opportunity for product placement instead of the usual “X.” Either way, as long as parenting is actively being done, it seems children would not be falling down drunk in the streets.

By banning certain activities from cartoons, people are leaving out an entire market of adults watching these same cartoons that could respond to advertisements. This does not just pertain to adults-only products, product-placement for other items used in our daily lives would be an interesting advertising technique. Let’s be serious, Disney along with other channels are moving away from cartoons and replacing them with characters like Miley Cyrus/ Hannah Montana. At twenty-three, I have seen more cartoons than all three of my younger siblings and four of my younger step-siblings ranging from eight to twenty-two. I think if properly regulated in ways (like avoiding condom and cigarette placements)cartoons could become a great place for product placement.

I commented on Jeannie Hilleary and Kristina Wade’s Blog.

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