English Essay
Madeleine Noriega
Professor Fong
English 1A.32W
1 October 2012
Revolutionize the Future When was the last time you craved for burger, fries, or even a milkshake? Or how about the last time you bought a pack of cigarettes? These days, advertisements from various industries have managed to draw people’s attention and lure them into buying the products that are presented to them. As a result, fast foods and tobaccos have ultimately become a major part of our lives. These advertisements have been known not only to target adults, but also children and teens. Therefore, marketing aimed at young people continues to be a problem in today’s society and should be resolved because their health and future are affected by industries that are shaping the way they think and behave. In this case, a couple of specific methods industries use to gain credibility from consumers are by including toys and products with brand logos to the kid’s meals and getting involved with schools. Food companies and toy manufacturers come together to create toys that would help advertise food (Story 19). They prey on children’s love for toys, and children are unaware they are being manipulated. They get distracted by the fact that certain meals contain a collectible toy they do not have yet, which leads them to buying it. Fast food industries used this as a way to increase the likability of their meals. Children would desire to purchase meals with toys in order to complete their set. Also, the fact that they are using brand logos on the toys makes it seem like they are in the same league as other large companies. Moreover, soda companies, such as Coca Cola and Pepsi, gain trust from schools by offering them incentives such as cash awards or donated equipment if they agree to sell their products and make a specific amount of money (Story 15). It seems that they make people believe it is a “win-win” situation because both sides would get what they want or need. The companies establish a
Professor Fong
English 1A.32W
1 October 2012
Revolutionize the Future When was the last time you craved for burger, fries, or even a milkshake? Or how about the last time you bought a pack of cigarettes? These days, advertisements from various industries have managed to draw people’s attention and lure them into buying the products that are presented to them. As a result, fast foods and tobaccos have ultimately become a major part of our lives. These advertisements have been known not only to target adults, but also children and teens. Therefore, marketing aimed at young people continues to be a problem in today’s society and should be resolved because their health and future are affected by industries that are shaping the way they think and behave. In this case, a couple of specific methods industries use to gain credibility from consumers are by including toys and products with brand logos to the kid’s meals and getting involved with schools. Food companies and toy manufacturers come together to create toys that would help advertise food (Story 19). They prey on children’s love for toys, and children are unaware they are being manipulated. They get distracted by the fact that certain meals contain a collectible toy they do not have yet, which leads them to buying it. Fast food industries used this as a way to increase the likability of their meals. Children would desire to purchase meals with toys in order to complete their set. Also, the fact that they are using brand logos on the toys makes it seem like they are in the same league as other large companies. Moreover, soda companies, such as Coca Cola and Pepsi, gain trust from schools by offering them incentives such as cash awards or donated equipment if they agree to sell their products and make a specific amount of money (Story 15). It seems that they make people believe it is a “win-win” situation because both sides would get what they want or need. The companies establish a
Cited: “Constitutional Topic: The First Amendment.” USConstitution.net. 23 Oct. 2012. “Teens and Cigarettes.” Palo Alto Medical Foundation. American Medical Association, 2001. Web Thank You for Smoking. Dir. Jason Reitman. Perf. Aaron Eckhart, William H. Macy. Fox Searchlight, 2006 Los Altos: Foothill College, 2012. 1-3. College, 2012. 5-6. Fong. Los Altos: Foothill College, 2012. 29-33. Activity (2004): 1-17. Rpt. in English 1A: Composition and Reading. Comp. Valerie Fong