
Protecting Kids from Stealth Advertising in Digital Media
TINA.org Executive Director Bonnie Patten to speak at FTC workshop Wednesday.
I don’t like An advertisement that pops up in a new window when you’re browsing the internet. ads. They’re like someone interrupting you in the middle of a conversation – so rude. But the pop-ups that you can’t close – well they should just be plain illegal.
This weekend my 9-year-old son encountered one that neither he nor I could figure out how to make it disappear. The criminal was Bimbo breads and its white, sickeningly sweet, blue-eyed bear, who wouldn’t get off the screen. Every time we tried clicking something to get rid of it, we were taken to an ad page and forced to hear the Bimbo jingle sung by a bunch of drunken Munchkins. (I can assure you that while the little people are singing about “Beembo,” I’m certain that it should be pronounced as it is spelled – Bimbo – with all the connotations that this word implies.) And while we were being tortured by the repeating jingle, the screen read: “Kids love the Bimbo Bear and his great tasting bread. Mom and Dads love the bread’s quality ingredients and nutritional value.”
Well Bimbo bread, my son and I have a few comments to make about you and your ad. First, my son now hates your stupid bear who wouldn’t get off his comic book page. Second, by “quality ingredients,” are you referring to the mold inhibiting preservative or the food additives in your bread? And finally, as far as nutritional value, your bread has 1 gram of fiber – meaning, not enough for me to ever buy it for my family. So if you’re reading this Mr. Bear, stay away from my son and our computer.
TINA.org Executive Director Bonnie Patten to speak at FTC workshop Wednesday.
How income claims, even truthful ones, can be deceptive when marketing the MLM business opportunity.
It was another successful year outing deceptive marketing on multiple fronts.