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December 13, 2007
Contact: Josh Golin (617.278.4172;
jgolin@jbcc.harvard.edu)
For Immediate Release
CCFC Demands Immediate End to Advertising on Webkinz.com
BOSTON -- The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is
demanding that Webkinz World – the wildly popular social
networking site for kids who’ve bought Webkinz stuffed animals –
stop targeting its users with outside advertising. Since
October, Webkinz has quietly integrated ads into its virtual
world for young children. CCFC , which was alerted to the ads
by parent complaints, launched
a letter-writing campaign today urging Webkinz to
immediately end all advertising on the site.
"One of the reasons parents purchase Webkinz is the expectation
that the website will be free of advertising,” said Susan Linn,
CCFC’s director and a psychologist at Judge Baker Children's
Center. “It is disappointing that Webkinz is choosing to
maximize profits at the expense of parents’ trust.”
Webkinz, the most visited virtual world for children in the
United States, is currently promoting the film Alvin and the
Chipmunks. In addition to banner ads, the site is
encouraging young users to actively engage with the movie by
purchasing specially designed chipmunk costumes and food for
their virtual pets. Bee Movie – a film that partnered
with McDonald’s, General Mills and Brachs and has dozens of
licensed products – was promoted in a similar way.
Yet the “Parents Area” of the Webkinz.com does not mention that
the site includes advertising. Media reports continue to refer
to the website as commercial-free, a designation that clearly
benefits Ganz, the makers of Webkinz.
“I am shocked to learn that
Webkinz World has been opened up to advertisers,” said
Jacqueline Rupp, a Philadelphia mother of two whose children are
regular users of the site. “Marketing on this site is akin to
an endorsement from the Webkinz themselves which is a very
powerful advertising ploy that I would rather my kids not be
exposed to. Since I try to set strict limits on my children’s
exposure to advertising, I will stop supporting the site and
sway my kids away from buying more Ganz products if the ads
continue.”
Ganz has sold millions of Webkinz toys since 2005. Each toy
comes with a special code that enables users to play online at
Webkinz World for one year.
“Ganz was already walking a fine line since the site is really
designed to sell more Webkinz,” said Dr. Linn. “But adding
immersive advertising for other products is all about greed.”
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