Tell Hasbro:
Don't Use Sex to Sell Toys to Six-Year-Olds
Action: In Fall, 2006,, Hasbro
planned to start marketing - to girls as young as six -
a line of dolls based on the Pussycat Dolls, a real-life burlesque
troupe turned pop stars famous for their sexualized lyrics and
dance routines. According to
The New York Times, the dolls were designed to mimic the
group's "playfully risqué style."
Status:
On
May
24, 2006 -
less than 48 hours after CCFC launched its campaign -
Hasbro announced that they were canceling their planned line
of dolls based on
the Pussycat Dolls,
a
real-life burlesque troupe turned pop stars
famous for their sexualized lyrics and dance routines
. Thanks so
much to all of you who sent letters - it was your efforts that
made the difference.
Click here for more information on Hasbro's decision>>
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Tell Walmart: Nagging is Not a Family Value
Action: At Wal-Mart's new website,
http://toyland.walmart.com/, children review a parade of
toys while two animated elves encourage and reward them for
adding items to a wish list. "If you show us what you want on
your wish list, we'll blast it off to your parents," say the
elves. "We'll help plead your case."
Wal-Mart is ruthlessly coming between parents and children and
actively encouraging kids to nag for their holiday gifts. Many
of the products in Toyland - such as the Bratz Fashion
Makeover (pictured) - may be antithetical to parents' values.
Others, like the Fisher Price Power Wheels Cadillac Escalade
($279), cost more than many parents can afford. Yet children
do not need a parent's permission to enter Toyland, there is
no age requirement to use the site, and kids are encouraged to
submit their parents' email address in order to send their
wish list.
Families have a hard enough time navigating holiday
commercialism without the world's largest retailer bypassing
parents entirely and urging children to nag.
Status: Still
Active.
Please tell
Wal-Mart to close the doors to Toyland>>
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Tell Running Press to Remove all Product Placement from
Cathy's Book
Action:
Until now, books have been a refuge from the advertising
that is ubiquitous in children's lives. But that's about to
change. In an unprecedented commercial intrusion, a
soon-to-be published young adult book will include product
placement. Cathy's Book: If Found Call (650) 266-8233
(Running Press) will incorporate Cover All makeup into its
plot for promotional purposes.
The last thing young girls need is a cosmetics ad disguised
as a novel. If we let this go unchallenged, books--like
television, movies and videogames--will become major venues for
marketing to children. And the quality of children's literature
will be compromised.
Status: Because of consumer complaints,
Running Press has removed product placement from the paperback
version of Cathy's Book.
For more information on this action see our February 2008
Newsletter>>
