Achtung Bubba
Refugee
As my likely last post of the day, I would like to offer for discussion the following question: is Absolut Vodka targeting children?
Over the last few months, Absolut has used an online ad campaign with simple, but often enjoyable Flash games - particularly neat is one in which your number keys on your keyboard allow you to play different musical notes.
Camel was strongly criticized because of its "Joe Camel" campaign; opponents believed that the cigarette company was targeting children by using a cartoon (technically, a drawing, since the ads weren't animated; I believe tobacco ads on TV were banned long before Joe Camel).
I always found the argument to be a bit specious - that having a cartoon character necessarily meant you were targeting children. Since then, South Park and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim has debunked the theory; it's possible and profitable to make a cartoon targeted for people over age 18. Joe Camel is still nowhere to be found.
My three questions are these:
- Do you think that there's a case to be made here? That is, do you think the Absolut ads target children?
- Do you think some special interest group will notice this and take legal action?
- If they take this to court, would they win?
Over the last few months, Absolut has used an online ad campaign with simple, but often enjoyable Flash games - particularly neat is one in which your number keys on your keyboard allow you to play different musical notes.
Camel was strongly criticized because of its "Joe Camel" campaign; opponents believed that the cigarette company was targeting children by using a cartoon (technically, a drawing, since the ads weren't animated; I believe tobacco ads on TV were banned long before Joe Camel).
I always found the argument to be a bit specious - that having a cartoon character necessarily meant you were targeting children. Since then, South Park and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim has debunked the theory; it's possible and profitable to make a cartoon targeted for people over age 18. Joe Camel is still nowhere to be found.
My three questions are these:
- Do you think that there's a case to be made here? That is, do you think the Absolut ads target children?
- Do you think some special interest group will notice this and take legal action?
- If they take this to court, would they win?