Comments on: Kelloggs Sucrilhos: When will kids be kids in our advertising?

By: bhatnaturally

bhatnaturally — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:24:14 +0000

Marcos, thanks for the comment. Oh yes, ‘ghost’ ads as you call them are common in this part of the world too. I am not surprised that the Kelloggs ads were scam – meant for award shows etc. The ‘common saying’ you mention has a totally different connotation than the positive spin in these ads.

By: Marcos

Marcos — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:42:28 +0000

Saw this at Sociological Images, and I’ll paste here the comment I’ve left there:

First of all, these ads were never published here in Brazil. They seem to be “ghost” ads – those things that publicity folks do just for fun, or to exhibit in festivals.

Now, the content. It’s a common saying in Portuguese, “o importante é ter saúde”. One says it as a kind of consolation to someone whose kids/parents/relatives are NOT normal. It is implied “all right, we know you are ashamed, and maybe even feeling guilty, but that’s not as bad as, say, cancer”.

If those were real ads, there would be a strong reaction here.

By: harshalg

harshalg — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:15:44 +0000

Loved the campaign, as also the MTR one you narrated! Remember the Dhara one? Have also loved the stuff Surf Excel pulls off, in the context of expertly negotiating a kids worldview.

By: bhatnaturally

bhatnaturally — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:04:45 +0000

Harshal, Charles – thanks for the comments. Oh yes, the Kelloggs ads are far from perfect/ideal. In other ads they show a dense, dim-witted kid sitting in a classroom full of kids who appear to be much younger to him. Those aren’t advertising imageries that one would look up to in this part of the world. But very few ads show ‘kids as kids’. The exception that comes to mind (can’t find the YouTube link) is an the MTR Instant Gulab Jamun ad where a mum makes the dish to celebrate the kid coming second in a race. Kid reveals later that there were only 2 kids in the race.

By: Charles Frith

Charles Frith — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:15:29 +0000

I like the use of normal. But is this cereal healthy? Looks sugar coated to me.

By: harshalg

harshalg — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:12:33 +0000

Maybe, growing up ensures that the kid within each of us, gets sufficiently thrashed?
Never daring to speak anything, but adult-speak?
Kids are precious in their curiosity, aren’t they?
The corollary, of course, is that all mums have an infinite capacity for guilt.
But, that is fodder for another post…