Advertising and obesity

I absolutely believe that advertising plays a major role in the contribution to childhood and adulthood obesity. A large amount of advertisements for fast food restaurants and geared strongly towards children.  For example, the most notorious, McDonalds. The ever incising happy meal toys and play place make children wide eyed and crazy. I don't blame them, when I was a child I didn't care about what I was eating, as long as it didn't look too weird and of course I would eat it if it meant i got to open a toy after. Children and adults, even thought we know better, are pulled into the entire experience that fast food places advertise for us. They make it look fun and exciting and very "family oriented". Another factor is the price. Fast food is significantly cheaper then the healthier alternative. Some parents feel that they have no other option, when eating out costs less then buy vegetables from the grocery store.

Advertising is also a very useful tool in the prevention of obesity. Unfortunately I feel as though it is rare that those ads will be noticed or reacted to half as much as the ads in favour of fast foods. SLowly but surely I would like to think the advertisements promoting healthy living will become more prominent and more geared towards children, not just parents. Of course as consumers we play a large part in the success of the fast food world. Obviously we are taking the bait. It is up to us to choose the better option, to instil good values in our own lives and hopefully the people around us will follow. Parents have to realize that children need to be taught good habits now, so they can carry it on for the rest of their lives. At the end of the day you chose which ads will win you over.

Photoshopping Ads

I personally think Photoshop is an essential tool in the world of advertising. I think the public has a pre conceived notion that all models are photoshopped, so they realistically don't expect people to actually look like that. Photoshop can be used in a plethora of ways, not just to make the female model population look more attractive than they already are. It is used as an art tool as well, to create things that can not be photographed.

Mic Mac Mall Back To School Campaign

Although Suburbia states that they get shoppers. I beg to differ. The ads were clearly directed at young female students, of the shopper variety. Just because a young woman just loves to shop doesn't mean they disregard other important aspects of their life –such as school– which the ads suggest. Clearly the Dartmouth public did not react well to the advertisements. They should have researched their target audience a little more.

Personally, I don't think I would have run the ad, realizing that the public can often be very sensitive to any hint at sexism or the undermining of women. Which they should be. Agencies really have to cover all the bases before running a cheeky ad, if the majority of the target isn't satisfied, you're doing it wrong.

To be honest if I were walking through the mall and glanced at the ad in passing I probably wouldn't think too much of it, but that's just me. I can totally see why people would react negatively, thinking it is sexist, and demand a change. As consumers we have the right to voice our opinion if we are not satisfied with out shopping experience.

If the ad had featured both young men and women I don't think the public would have taken it this seriously, it would have been seen as more of a humorous, cheeky, ad. Which maybe is sexist in itself. 

Either way I support the notion of this ad campaign being removed, and believe that they could have played out  the same message in a much better–non offensive–way.