Campaign For A Commercial-Free Childhood is a national coalition of health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups and concerned parents who counter the harmful effects of marketing to children through action, advocacy, education, research, and collaboration. We support the rights of children to grow up and the rights of parents to raise them without being undermined by rampant commercialism. CCFC is headquartered at the Judge Baker Children's Center in Boston. http://commercialfreechildhood.org Thu 08 January 2009 08:18:11 +0100 http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2009/01/bkwarmsup.html The app rewards people with a coupon for BK's signature burger when they cull 10 friends. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2009/01/marketerswaryeye.html With a new administration, a substantially new Congress and an array of crises that President-elect Barack Obama will have inherited from the soon-to-be-ex, the crystal ball is murky on key regulatory issues that marketers will face. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2009/01/tobaccopp.html Moviegoers are accustomed to the “no animals were harmed” disclaimer at the end of most movies. But 2009 dawns a new age for disclaimers, product placement disclaimers in particular. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/ebooks.html Readers and publishers alike are embracing a digital future. Electronic-book sales increased 73% in October compared with the same month last year, according to the Assn. of American Publishers, while sales of adult paperbacks decreased 23% and children's paperbacks declined 14.8% http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/childrenonline.html More than four out of 10 children ages 6 to 11 have visited a Website they saw or heard about in a commercial or advertisement, according to a 2008 MRI survey. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/edgybarbie.html The goal: to make Barbie fashionable again with older girls, who are dropping her for other, edgier playthings like video games. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/pesterpower.html Regardless of the economic landscape, kids are more consumer-driven than ever and are prime targets for marketers. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/sometoymakers.html Small firms and those that use natural materials say the costs of testing toys for lead and other harmful substances may put them out of business. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/ofcomjunkfood.html LONDON - Ofcom has estimated the amount of TV advertising for less healthy foods seen by children has dropped by a third since the introduction of stricter regulations in April 2007. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/njbusses.html State legislators have introduced at least three bills since January that would allow school districts to raise money by selling ads on the sides of the buses they rent or own. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/marketinginmalls.html Advertisers are looking to malls more and more as venues for experiential marketing, hoping to immerse consumers in spaces where they are physically surrounded by brand messages. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/mountaindew.html Collaboration with Spike TV Will Spotlight Trials and Tribulations of Independent Gamers http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/montgomerydiscontinues.html Montgomery County school officials said today they have decided to end a trial run of BusRadio, a private broadcast service that provides programmed music and ads to students on their school buses. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/schoolbusradio.html Montgomery County parents and national children's advocacy groups are questioning the school system's experiment with BusRadio, a private network that broadcasts sanitized music and ads to a captive audience of student passengers. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/nielsentext.html Nearly 60% of U.S. mobile subscribers use text-messaging on a regular basis, with 16% recalling some form of advertising while texting, according to new research by Nielsen Mobile. Given the growing popularity of text messaging, Nielsen says cell users can expect to see more short-code marketing. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/storefronts.html So far, the deepening recession has not slowed sales of virtual goods, which executives attribute to people spending more time at home. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/wonkadropped.htm Move is part of the Better Business Bureau’s Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/softdrinkshift.htm According to the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA), the study, which was conducted by independent analyst TNS, sought to ascertain the manner in which UK children between 0 and 16 years of age consume drinks. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/childrenspersonaldetails.htm Junk food companies are collecting children's personal details via websites to direct marketing messages to them. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/childrenmediahealth.htm In what researchers call the first report of its kind, a review of 173 studies about the effects of media consumption on children asserts that a strong correlation exists between greater exposure and adverse health outcomes. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/12/cultofconsumerism.htm With all the glittering decorations and tempting toy commercials, children are especially vulnerable at this time of the year to becoming selfish shopaholics if parents don't step in, the author of a new book says. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/giftgivers.htm Americans are taking a closer look at their spending habits this holiday season as the country is mired in its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/disneyaccused.htm A leading Catholic cleric has launched a fierce attack on Disney, claiming it has corrupted children and encouraged greed. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/meltdownfallout.htm In a season that inspires earnest letters about toys, one notable batch is being sent not by kids to Santa's workshop but by parents to the executive suites of real-world toy makers. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/parentspolice.htm The study poses an interesting question: "Are parents doing enough to protect their children from violent video games?" The answer, though, isn't simple. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/virtualgifts.htm Virtual gifts -- tiny icons displayed on user profiles, pioneered by Facebook as the intangible present of choice -- are being employed by several major companies this season. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/burgerkingwii.htm Each time a customer buys a BK Crown Card at one of the participating restaurants nationwide, he will be entered to win one of 500 of the Wii systems. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/ccfcfccpp.htm The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) wants the FCC to explicitly ban product placement in kids shows and limit it in primetime, saying embedded advertising is misleading speech, and thus deserves "no First Amendment protection." http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/longformadsonfox.htm In an unprecedented move, Fox will program two hours of longform commercials on Saturday mornings starting in January. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/fundssliced.htm Money helps pay for printing costs after budget cuts http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/mcdonaldscourtsmoms.htm Chain enlists its toughest customers to talk up menu's healthful side. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/toptoys.htm It looks like Mattel's Barbie brand is safe in its No. 1 spot this year, but Disney's Hannah Montana leapt up four places on the year's hot-toy list, muscling past the Bratz crowd. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/fastfoodads.htm A ban on fast-food advertising to children would cut the national obesity rate by as much as 18%, according to a new study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research and funded by the National Institutes of Health. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/drpeppergame.htm DR PEPPER plans to announce on Wednesday that, for the first time, it is promoting a professional athlete on bottles that it will distribute nationally. But the shaggy-haired athlete on the label is not a traditional sports star: he’s a 21-year-old who has a three-year, $250,000 contract to play video games. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/caru.htm If a toy is moving in an ad, it better move once a child gets a hold of it. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/comcastpp.htm More digital product placement messages and content is on the way for several cable networks. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/nationalgeographic.htm Through its for-profit unit National Geographic Ventures, the nonprofit National Geographic Society is set to announce Tuesday that it has created National Geographic Games. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/barelypassing.htm The struggle to dress cool for school. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/disneyverizon.htm Wireless software promises to help mobile phone users navigate the parks and make the most of their visits. But there are privacy implications. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/infomercial.htm Apparently at Christmastime "infomercial" gets translated into a "special gift." Why this particular story is chosen goes beyond the cranberry in the title and Ocean Spray's interest in the lovely holiday treat. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/mattelstopbratz.htm The Barbie maker wants to bar MGA from producing the toys, seize its inventory and even get rights to the name. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/facebookmarketers.htm Despite its surging Internet audience, Facebook Inc. has yet to prove it can wring steady revenue out of advertisers. Now it’s trying a new tactic to woo Madison Avenue. http://adage.com/globalideanetwork/post?article_id=132455 As Part of Broad Push, Disney Brings Characters to Delhi and Mumbai for Sold-out Live Shows http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/simpsons.htm Fox's unsinkable series to be served up in 58-country promotion http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/pizzahutfacebook.htm Fast-Food Chains Experiment With Takeout/Delivery Services Via Social Networks and IPhone Applications http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/blankspaces.htm Now technology startup Keystream is introducing a video ad alternative that it believes will prove superior to pre-rolls and overlay ads placed at the bottom of the screen. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/obama.htm The election of President Barack Obama will bring with it a Democrat-controlled Congress and a revised set of priorities for the various federal agencies that regulate media and advertising. http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2008/11/06/disney-xd-aims-to-be-where-the-boys-are.aspx Jim Hill talks about the rebranded version of Toon Disney which will be debuting in February of 2009. Which seeks to become the cable channel of choice for boys 6-to-14 http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/disneybydesign.htm Welcome to Disney, the “lifestyle brand.” http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/surlyshopper.htm The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is calling for a different sort of acknowledgment of economic realities with a new appeal urging the largest toy manufacturers to declare a moratorium on advertising to children this holiday season. Instead, the group is encouraging toy makers to advertise their products during adult programs and pitch their benefits to parents. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/sakssacks.htm Saks will close by May its 78 “tween” stores and 20 shops called Club Libby Lu, a concept that founder Mary Drolet started in Chicago eight years ago. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/neuromarketing.htm Advertisers ride a brain wave called neuromarketing. But is it for real? http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/videogamestop.htm Video games are predicted to become the UK's most popular form of entertainment this year, it was reported today. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/sleekbillboard.htm While electronic ad displays have been placed in other shopping centers and are widely installed in airports and urban transport systems, Westfield London is one of the first developments with such a large concentration of digital billboards; nondigital advertising has been banished from the site. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/disneypopularbrands.htm Walt Disney Co is betting that toys inspired by hit franchises like "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical" or linked to the Internet will drive cash-strapped parents to its brands during the crucial holiday season. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/tsabins.htm Airline passengers could start seeing more ads in an unusual place: the bottoms of the plastic bins that hold their shoes, cellphones and jackets at checkpoints. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/restrictionsnotworking.htm A consumer watchdog in the UK, Which?, has said that the rules, which aim to curb advertising foods assessed as high in fat, salt and sugar to children, are not working. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/violentvideogames.htm Children and teenagers who play violent video games show increased physical aggression months afterward, according to new research that adds another layer of evidence to the continuing debate over the video-game habits of the youngest generation. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/uptick.htm Do you believe that young TV viewers are fast-forwarding through commercials? The short answer is: not always. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/sexytvshows.htm Groundbreaking research suggests that pregnancy rates are much higher among teens who watch a lot of TV with sexual dialogue and behavior than among those who have tamer viewing tastes. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/11/productsbecomeplots.htm Products no longer simply appear in shows – they're becoming important parts of the plot, too. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/businessofavatars.htm Avatars are cropping up with increasing frequency in games, virtual worlds, social networks and other areas of the Web as businesses experiment with them as a tool to drive sales. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/disneygurus.htm Disney's toy gurus are trying to toss some serious pixie dust in the face of the economic meltdown. Even before the current crisis, the $22 billion toy industry had been flat for years. To pump some oxygen into the market, the Mouse House is trying to magically erase the already fuzzy lines between toys and tech products. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/teenvogue.htm Though many retailers are closing and cutting back, Teen Vogue is taking its franchise to the mall. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/mcdonalds.htm McDonald’s plans to launch a major campaign around the upcoming premiere of the DreamWorks animated movie “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.” http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/kiwibox.htm Teen social network Kiwibox and ad network Burst Media have banded together to launch the Kiwibox Teen Network, an online ad network designed for interactive marketers who want to reach teens. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/chickfila.htm Chick-fil-A has partnered with the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for the first time to create four different Kid’s Meal premiums, that when put together create a space station. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/penguin.htm Walt Disney Co. has licensed a toy line based on its popular virtual world for kids -- just in time for the holidays. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/toymakers.htm Even as retailers and manufacturers start their holiday promotions early--because of a late Thanksgiving and continued economic worries--to try to shore up holiday sales, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is urging some temperance when it comes to advertising. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/sexyhalloween.htm Titillating outfits marketed to kids are a reflection of an increasingly sexualized childhood, says author and professor Diane Levin. For little boys, it's the macho look. What's a parent to do? http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/tinkerbell.htm Tinker Bell, the cute fairy who has long played second fiddle to Peter Pan, makes her grand entrance in The Walt Disney Co.'s virtual world of Pixie Hollow on Friday. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/junkfoodban.htm The Australian Food and Grocery Council will today announce a code to ensure that its members advertise only healthy food when the target audience is mainly children aged under 12. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/coke.htm According to a new study released by the Keller Fay Group, Coca-Cola is currently the most talked about brand in America. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/americaneagle.htm A core team of 22 people at American Eagle Outfitters Inc. found that out as they spent a year studying the children's clothing market. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/kidsfast.htm “Seven-year-olds are calling each other sluts and they don’t know what it means, and this is rural New Hampshire,” said Diane Levin, a professor of education at Wheelock College in Boston, author, and frequent guest on national television programs about children’s issues. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/neoedge.htm Most casual game ads are predictable. They run a 30-second video in between levels in a game, or roll the video after you’ve finished. But NeoEdge Networks has introduced a way to make those the placement of ads much more flexible — and possibly quite annoying to gamers. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/wwe.htm New website, wwekids.com, part of larger strategy to reach younger viewers. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/kidscereal.htm Cereal makers that reduce the amount of sugar in kids' cereals tend to ratchet up the salt content to improve flavor, says a report expected to be released Tuesday by Consumers International. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/bond.htm Daniel Craig, the sixth and latest James Bond, didn’t just bring in new fans with his debut two years ago. He also has lured new marketers to the movie franchise well-known for product placement and tie-ins. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/marketers.htm "Today, the average budgets for placing ads in PlayStation 3 video games vary between $150,000/$200,000 and $400,000/$500,000 per campaign, capping out at about $1 million," said IGA CEO and cofounder Justin Townsend. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/titan.htm Titan Worldwide has agreed the largest deployment of digital screens on buses to date, covering 300 vehicles across New York and Chicago, with UK-based company LiteLogic providing the technology in a Ł2.8m deal. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/class.htm The growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility and the ubiquity of advertising have combined to make branded educational content more appealing and prevalent. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/princess.htm Just about anything geared toward children these days – clothing, toys, furniture, books and more – can be found with a Disney princess emblazoned on them. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/adelstein.htm FCC commissioner wants FCC to act on 2004 proposal "before interactive advertising becomes an established business model." http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/nokia.htm Nokia recently announced its first touch-screen mobile phone, the 5800 XpressMusic. Nokia convinced Britney Spears to include the phone in her most recent music video, placing the 5800 squarely in front of the eyes of its target market. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/mediamoney.htm The business of advertising in videogames still faces significant challenges before it can win a sizable portion of major brands' ad spending, though the growth of big-budget, Web-based games should help accelerate the segment's growth, said the leader of one of the gaming industry's top players. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/pizzahut.htm Pizza Hut has added the social network Facebook to its array of choices for delivery orders. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/virtualgaming.htm The bulk of the U.S.-based investment is in the entertainment space, with all but $22.4 million going to developers of worlds with strong "gameplay" elements, ties to media brands, or the youth sector. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/hotwheels.htm Cartoon Network has picked up an animated series based on Mattel’s "Hot Wheels" property, slated to begin airing Saturday mornings next year. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/ofcom.htm Ofcom is to look into evidence that TV channels aimed at pre-school children are damaging child development. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/kidstv.htm A serious weakening in the economy has not affected the crucial fourth-quarter kids' TV advertising business--yet. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/britishjunkfood.htm Advertisers are less likely to target children with junk-food ads following government restrictions, according to a new report published by the Department of Health today. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/milkcartoon.htm This past July, the Federal Trade Commission handed over to Congress its 120-page report on the subject of marketing food to children and adolescents. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/stardoll.htm Stardoll enables young girls to create avatars, which they can adorn with high-end virtual couture http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/applefieldtrip.htm Apple has unveiled its latest campaign aimed at marketing to children, inviting teachers to bring groups of students to Apple Stores for a field trip. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/pornificationgeneration.htm A new book traces the migration of porn culture from adult theaters to the mainstream—and asks what that means for kids. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/hsmwater.htm Soft drinks company Calypso has unveiled a High School Musical 3 - Senior Year branded flavoured natural mineral water in the UK, to coincide with the release of the film. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/adsdentist.htm Find advertisement distracting? Perhaps not if you're having a root canal http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/junkfoodthought.htm In a child’s buffet of food commercials, more than 40 percent of the dishes are candy, snacks and fast food. Nowhere to be found: fresh fruit, vegetables, poultry or seafood. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/caloriesvendingmachines.htm A new study has added weight to calls for juices, drinks with added sugar and candy to be removed from all school vending machines. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/cartoonsfat.htm Children are attracted to flashy colored characters and packaging and although parents may say "no, no, no", at the end the likes of Spongebob SquarePants, Scooby Doo, Shrek, Barbie, Cookie Monster and others often win out. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/disneynick.htm The rivalry between Disney Channel and Nickelodeon has gone global. The powerhouse kids' brands are aggressively extending their presence and penetration in both established and emerging international markets as they vie for global supremacy. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/senateact.htm The Senate has passed by unanimous consent a bill that would require the FCC to investigate content-blocking technologies that can help parents screen out inappropriate video content. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/showkids.htm Q: How can I keep my 10-year-old and 12-year-old daughters from wanting so many material things? http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/mediaplayground.htm Mobile devices, Web video, online social networks, vidgames, DVRs and homevid options have disrupted audiences' small-screen habits and upended traditional ad models. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/cartoonwhich.htm Which? has urged the food industry to stop using cartoon marketing for unhealthy foods, in a report published today. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/sunprairie.htm School districts across the state have been feeling the financial pinch from state revenue caps for several years. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/10/nickvend.htm Nick properties to be available in branded vending machines across Europe, Middle East and Africa. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/hipchicas.htm Hip Venture Co. is the latest company to enter the crowded virtual worlds market for kids, tweens and teens with the imminent launch of HipChicas.com. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/hondahsm3.htm Honda has signed on as exclusive automotive sponsor of Walt Disney Pictures' "High School Musical 3: Senior Year." http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/hostesshalloween.htm In a play on Publisher’s Clearing House’s Prize Patrol, reps from Hostess will visit the homes of some of its sweepstakes contestants on Halloween to dish out $1 million to one winner. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/fccconsiders.htm As the filings stream in during the Federal Communications Commission's proceeding on what to do about embedded advertising, one thing is clear: you are either for a crackdown on the practice or against one. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/ditchcharacters.htm Scholastic Inc., the purveyor of children's books that holds a virtual monopoly on elementary school book fairs and monthly mail-order book sales, has dropped the hyper-sexualized Bratz dolls from its line of books. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/flyright.htm Triad Consulting has some advice for advertisers that want to fly right: Advertise on airplane tray tables. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/myspacemusic.htm MySpace late Thursday night debuted its ad-supported free on-demand streaming music and video service, MySpace Music. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/sellingteenagersmilk.htm Classes at three high schools in California will be spending the next six or seven weeks developing ideas for the “Got milk?” campaign, which is sponsored by the California Milk Processor Board. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/advertisingamberalert.htm Governor Schwarzenegger wants to use message boards, usually used for Amber Alerts and other emergencies, as billboards. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/regulationjunkfood.htm Dannon has become the latest company to sign up to a scheme against junk food ads for children, but it comes as the kids channel Nickelodeon is accused of mainly marketing products that are of poor nutritional quality. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/stealthmarketers.htm The FCC is debating how its sponsorship identification rules apply to product placement, product integration and other types of "embedded advertising" relayed over television or radio stations. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/consolesgainpopularity.htm Worldwide revenues from connected consoles--or gaming systems that are connected to the Internet via broadband--are set to top $4 billion in just two years, according to new data from Parks Associates. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/actions/nprm.html In comments filed today, CCFC urged the FCC to a) explicitly prohibit the inclusion of embedded ads in all children's programming; and b) ban product placement and product integration in primetime broadcast programming when children are likely to be in the audience. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/wrigleysellscandystand.htm Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. is selling its successful advergaming website Candystand.com to Funtank, the newly opened branded gaming and entertainment publisher said today. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/milkrocks.htm New York-based MilkMedia has developed the Milk Rocks! program, a school initiative that intends to up the cool factor of moo juice by associating it with kid-friendly pop, rock, rap, soul and country artists on milk cartons, book covers, lunchroom posters and other school materials. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/disneymuppets.htm Disney prepares to use its marketing magic to bring back the 'Muppets.' http://commercialfreechildhood.org/pressreleases/schoolchildrenthrownoverboardepic.htm "At Sea in a Marketing-Saturated World," the eleventh annual report on schoolhouse commercialism released by the Arizona State University Commercialism in Education Research Unit (CERU), finds that children live, breathe, and play with branded products in and outside of school. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/cartoonnetworkstarwars.htm Cartoon Network today is blasting off an eight-week mall tour in support of its latest animated Star Wars series. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/productplacementmusiclyrics.htm Some artists have gone so far as to approach companies with offers to include brand and product names in their song lyrics. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/bratzexpelledguardian.htm One of America's largest distributors of books to schools has stopped listing Bratz books, after a campaign from parents saying the characters contributed to the sexualisation of children. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/jibjabhighschoolmusical.htm JibJab and Disney have teamed to offer free customizable web videos of the "HSM3" musical number "Now or Never," already shown on Disney TV properties. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/distributorgivesbratztheboot.htm The largest distributor of children's books to Canadian schools has decided to yank all Bratz books from its roster after parents and psychologists complained the controversial dolls promoted "precocious sexuality. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/pressreleases/ccfcexpelsbratz.htm Following an eighteen-month campaign by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), Scholastic, Inc. will no longer be promoting the controversial and highly sexualized Bratz brand in schools. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/gamersrespondtoads.htm 36 percent of gamers who see marketing messages take action. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/startupstargetkids.htm Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial energy is being served up in highly concentrated form this week, at a San Francisco conference called the TechCrunch50. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/busradiooped.htm Exposing this captive audience to the radio ads that accompany this national programming is not in the best interests of either the district or its students. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/schoolseyebusads.htm Several Michigan districts in talks to accept ads on kids' transportation. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/nascarpitchesyouth.htm Fenway Sports Group, the sports marketing firm of Red Sox principal owner John Henry, is taking an unprecedented approach to cultivating a new generation of racing buffs in New England - by aggressively marketing its NASCAR Racing team to children. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/summerfieldsosexysosoon.htm Kids are being sold a sexualized message at earlier ages than ever, say the authors of a new book http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/jcpennydisney.htm Hoping to cash in on Disney's lucrative "High School Musical" franchise, JC Penney is launching the "JCPenney Best Seat in the House 'High School Musical 3' Sweepstakes." http://commercialfreechildhood.org/pressreleases/busadban.htm Yesterday, South Carolina became the first state to ban all forms of school bus advertising. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/pg13notalike.htm Motion Picture Association of America ratings-board head Joan Graves defends advertising PG-13 films to kids. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/scbusads.htm Senator Greg Ryberg from Aiken praised the South Carolina State Board of Education for taking action to protect children who ride school buses from unwanted and potentially harmful messages. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/europesexistads.htm Last week, the legislature voted 504 to 110 to scold advertisers for “sexual stereotyping,” adopting a nonbinding report that seeks to prod the industry to change the way it depicts men and women. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/virtualgoods.htm Real-world retailers like Kohl's and Sears went virtual to help boost back-to-school sales this year, setting up shop and shilling their wares in kid-friendly worlds like Stardoll and Zwinky. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/weewii.htm The average youngster first wields a video-game controller at age 6, but one kiddie electronics marketer keeps working to make that even younger. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/armymarketing.htm The U.S. Army is turning up in a lot of youthful places lately. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/toxic90210.htm Thanks to CW, parents have to worry about poison on school buses. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/curbfoodads.htm Research that rigorously modelled 13 interventions aimed at reducing adolescent obesity, found advertising restrictions to be the most cost-effective measure by a long margin. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/pbsproduce.htm In Florida schools, some PBS kids’ show characters are coming to the cafeterias. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/09/schoolidads.htm There will not be advertising on the back of Missoula high school student identification cards. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/pressreleases/busradio90210.htm The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and other advocates for children are demanding that BusRadio stop advertising the highly sexualized new television show 90210 to children as young as six. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/aamarketing.htm There is a body of statistical data suggesting that the black community has been left behind on the road to healthier-food marketing. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/icarly.htm Nickelodeon has signed its first wireless client, ATT, to a multiplatform deal that coincides with the brand’s foray into the tween space. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/saralee.htm The effort, allied with Disney's "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," comprises TV, Web, in-cinema grassroots events, sweepstakes, PR and point-of-purchase activities timed to the film's Oct. 24 release. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/obama_obesity.htm The Obama campaign's senior director of domestic policy spent nearly an hour on Monday talking about plans for attacking childhood obesity. Absent from the discussion was mention of any advertising or marketing restrictions on "junk food." http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/campusbeer.htm THE DRIVE by college presidents to drop the campus drinking age could be taken more seriously if these leaders stopped bingeing on beer ads. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/90210.htm CBS Consumer Products is targeting this generation of tweens and teens currently smitten with Hannah Montana and the Jonas Bros. with a global merch program based on the spin-off hitting US airwaves next month. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/schoolbusads.htm When Humble ISD students board school buses next week, they'll be climbing into big yellow vehicles sponsored by day care centers, hospitals and home builders. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/ioc.htm Groups argue that the marketing of junk foods, sodas, fast-food chains and alcoholic beverages should be eliminated. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/pressreleases/babytvban.htm On French television, programming for babies has been banned. In this country, we cannot even prevent the producers of television for babies from deceiving parents. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/france_bans_babytv.htm France's broadcast authority has banned French channels from marketing TV shows to children under 3 years old, to shield them from developmental risks it says television viewing poses at that age. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/disney_dialing .htm Beginning in September, Disney plans to roll out a grab bag of goodies for young cell phone users, including a mobile storefront, instant-messaging chat system and virtual world widgets. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/ftc_commish.htm The Federal Trade Commission commissioner is at the center of the agency's scrutiny of marketing to children by food and beverage companies. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/virtual_retailers.htm With back-to-school sales off to a slow start, more old-line retailers and clothing labels are reaching out to kids online, enticing them to try virtual versions of their togs in hopes of making actual sales later. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/film_industry.htm The heavily disguised marketing methods means audiences watching a movie now need to be as savvy about who is financing a film as they are about directors and stars. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/phone_ads.htm Through ties to your GPS and smartphone, the mobile advertising platform could soon explode. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/junk_food_toys.htm “We don’t think that any type of toy should be used to lure kids into fast-food restaurants, even if they call it educational,” said CCFC's Josh Golin. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/crying_foul.htm A new report focuses on advertising methods, such as through social networks, and urges lawmakers to restrict junk food advertising to kids online. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/too sexy_too soon.htm An interview with CCFC's Diane Levin http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/lower_third.htm The lower third of the viewing screen, once part of the wide-open prairie for programming, is turning into the latest land of opportunity for Madison Avenue. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/state.htm What was once just the library at Cromer Public School is now The Panasonic Learning Common, complete with distinctive signage and product placement. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/retailers.htm The Children's Online Protection Act forbids Internet marketing to children under 13. But it does not apply to wireless cell phones. That's the big reason teen retailers are walking on eggs. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/explicit.htm That means every 38 seconds, children watching these programs are exposed to sexually charged images, explicit language, violence, drug use or sales, or other illegal activity. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/teachers.htm The poll found more than eight in 10 teachers (85%) believe possession of fashionable goods is important to their pupils, with 93% saying brands are the top influence on what children buy, followed by friends (91%) and logos (77%). http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/intoxicating.htm From 2001 to 2007, youth exposure to alcohol product advertising on television rose by 38 percent. The average number of television advertisements seen in a year by youth increased from 216 to 301. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/miley.htm Tweens spend or influence their parents to spend $500 billion a year, estimates children's marketing expert James U. McNeal -- enough to buy both Microsoft and Google. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/targeted.htm As part of this "hypertargeting" system, MySpace has analyzed the profiles of its users to gauge their interests and then categorized them into more than 1,000 "buckets," including rodeo watchers, scrapbook enthusiasts and "Dancing With the Stars" viewers. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/magbag.htm Nickelodeon, published by MTV Networks through Nickelodeon Mediaworks, is imploding in a fashion worthy of the game show "Double Dare." According to MIN Online, ad pages at the monthly were down almost 30% through July compared to the first seven months of 2007, to 110. Worse, the decline seems to be accelerating, with ad pages down 68% to just 12 in July. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/disneyto.htm The entertainment giant, which has made billions catering to the princess fantasies of young girls, plans to relaunch Toon Disney as Disney XD, a cable channel that will target boys. The move, under wraps for more than a year, is an attempt by the company to capture a market that has long eluded it. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/iwant.htm Each transitional montage stuffed with shots of the store and its cheery employees, while extras conspicuously tote Sears shopping bags in damn-near every scene. But The American Mall is no ordinary commercial; it’s a made-for-MTV movie musical. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/ncaasays.htm The NCAA is rejecting calls from critics to alter its policy allowing beer and wine cooler ads on telecasts of college sports, saying the current policy is sufficient. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/leapfrog.htm LeapFrog developed these educational games for the Leapster2 Learning Game System, targeted at kids ages four to eight, and the Didj Custom Gaming System designed for the slightly older six to 10 crowd. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/many.htm In a study released Monday in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from Dartmouth Medical School estimate more than 2.5 million children ages 10 to 14 watch the typical violent, R-rated movie. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/marketers.htm They are doing somewhat of the whole spectrum. They've got Ne-Yo, who's another R and B singer, and he's doing Big Red. And they've got Julianne Hough, who's a country star, who started off as a dancer on "Dancing With the Stars," doing Juicy Fruit. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/disney.htm "I think Fairies has the potential to be as big as Princesses," said Andrew P. Mooney, chairman of Disney Consumer Products. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/nickelodeon.htm Nickelodeon aims to build on the buzz from its popular “Avatar” animé series with the introduction of a global multiplayer Web game based on the series in September. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/some.htm In fact, some of the meals contain more 1,000 calories, which is almost as many calories as some elementary-school children need for the entire day, according to the analysis from Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer group. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/24.htm So is there any reason a preschooler should be watching TV at 2 a.m.? Linn says no, not even if a really good, quality show like “American Gladiators” or “America's Next Top Model” happens to be on. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/book.htm When it comes to capturing the zeitgeist of female teen angst, Alloy has developed a successful formula that mixes the drama of boyfriends with a heavily commodified lifestyle. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/summer.htm Advertisers spent $7.3 billion on outdoor ads last year, a rise of 7 percent from 2006, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/schools.htm The North Andover High School baseball field could soon be named for a bank and the track field for a local insurance company, after the School Committee agreed to allow corporate advertising at student sporting events in an effort to close a budget gap. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/ftc.htm In only one area did the FTC appear to have views that pose a threat to Big Food's status quo: What counts as a kids' TV show. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/08/bk.htm “Futbol Kingdom demonstrates BKC’s ongoing commitment to establish innovative partnerships and offer exceptional experiences to our Hispanic consumers” http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/07/one.htm 8 percent of respondents, or one in 12, said their organizations paid or provided a gift of value to an editor or producer to place a news story about their company or one of its products http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/07/jcpenney.htm At the end of the game, players can check out JCPenney’s Dorm Life gear or get some tips on freshmen life on the Facebook page. http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/07/marketing.htm In response to the FTC report, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) released a statement stressing that: "The FTC identified $1.6 billion as the amount spent by food and beverage companies on marketing directly to children, but that figure does not begin to reflect children's experience of that marketing. By the FTC's own admission, there are some significant gaps." http://commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2008/07/tug.htm “It’s the marketing industry policing itself, and as is shown over and over and over again, that’s problematic,” said Susan Linn, director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.