The Federal Trade Commission notes that children under the age of 12 spend billions of dollars every year, and would like to help them become “more savvy consumers.” To that end, a new website is up and running which teaches them the ins and outs of advertising, among other things. The site, FTC.gov/YouAreHere, is a virtual mall with a variety of businesses that offer various related lessons.
FTC Chairman William Kovacic said, “It teaches kids how to be more savvy consumers by demonstrating the benefits of competition, how advertising can influence buying decisions, and the rules and regulations that many business people deal with.”
According to the FTC announcement, kids “…can design and print advertisements for a shoe store, uncover suspicious claims in an ad, and guess the retail price of various candies based on their supply, demand, and production costs. One game that has players match the features of various cell phones with certain audiences illustrates the principles of target marketing; another allows visitors to compare sales pitches from three pizza joints as it explains competition.”
RBR/TVBR observation: From an advertiser-supported business standpoint, either the kids will be on to us, thanks to the FTC; or on a more positive note, it’s getting out next generation of advertising executives started in the business.
