According to the article in the Boston Globe," As ads seduce kids, studies sound alarm", "Advertisers use stars to attract young kids" (Meltz). Advertisements show celebrities to entice their audience to buy the product. The example from this article is a milk ad that includes famous rapper 50 cent. The teacher holds up this ad from a magazine, "Why does he need to have his shirt off? It's to show his muscles, to make you think if you drink milk, your body will look like his. I know a friend who would buy more milk if she saw this" (Meltz). When you look at an advertisement or commercial that includes a famous celebrity you are more eager to learn more about it. We are supposed to be individuals and make our own decisions. So why do we let advertisements influence our decisions and persuade us into thinking a certain way? Isaria Mwende argues in her blog that, "This suppresses the right of individuals to decide on their own free will, making people pursue false goals and values" (IsariaMwende). Mwende makes a point that these advertisements and other media gives people the wrong idea of what life is really like. My daughter is only 1 years old and when she sees the Disney Princesses on a commercial she automatically focuses on the commercial. How do marketers know which celebrity to use for their product? They have a strategy for choosing the right celebrity for their product. In the book, Creating Images and The Psychology of Marketing Communication, edited by Lynn Kahle and Chung-Hyun Kim identify this formula they use as, "A Q-rating is essentially a numerical value associated with celebrities involved in advertising" (191). The number that is eventually found "represents the potential celebrity success in marketing products" (191).
The commercial below contains the famous Disney princesses to advertise Disney dream house. Kids will be attracted to this doll house because it consists of a beautiful background and the famous princesses. However, in small print (which most kids that are viewing this commercial, either can't read or won't read) states that the princesses do not come with the house. When I was younger I wanted this doll that danced and twisted so bad. When I finally got this doll, I was disappointed! She did not twirl or dance at all. I remember that the commercial showed her spinning around the room. What I do not know is if there was fine print that said the doll does not actually dance with you. As I have identified earlier, children do not understand certain messages that are being conveyed in ads.