Abstract:

The paper describes a small-scale exploratory study among school-children, supplemented by preparatory desk research, and by interviews with a variety of adult professionals working in the broad field of child communications. The overall objective was to increase our understanding of how children use television advertising in general, and within this, to concentrate on the nature and emotional weaning of the communications that result from children's exposure to advertisements, rather than on subsequent behavioural effects. The most important specific aims were: A ) to investigate children's reactions and attitudes to "educational" ads, compared with ordinary commercial ads that they liked, and; B) to try to deduce some valid practical rules for producing successful TV advertising communications for children, whether for commercial purposes or in health and safety education.