http://www.aef.com/on_campus/classroom/speaker_pres/data/3005

Text 1. Advertising to Children

Advertising to children is a sensitive and emotionally-charged issue because children are easily influenced and like to experiment with new things. The proliferation of products, advertising, promotions and media targeted to children is of concern to lawmakers, the industry and the general public. Children's advertising is under attack because it is perceived as "making kids want what they don't need" and puts pressure on parents to respond to those needs. More recently, advertising is accused of being a factor in causing children's obesity. While there are more regulations in effect than ever before, there is a public outcry for even more.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the average child watches about four hours of television a day and sees more than 20,000 commercials each year, often for high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt snacks and foods.(2) By the time American children finish high school, they have spent nearly twice as many hours in front of the television set as in the classroom.

The debate about Children's advertising has prompted legislation over the years. Members of Congress have introduced bills to limit advertising time on children's programming, mandate educational content of those programs and restrict "program-length commercials."

In 1990, The Children's Television Act was passed and remains in effect today. Interpreted and enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), it applies to the networks, local broadcasters and cable operators.

Advertisers need to gain the trust of children and their parents through effective and honest advertising. In turn, parents must take responsibility for their children: monitor what they watch and read, determine how they spend their free time, and educate them to become responsible and informed consumers. Advertising to children will become less controversial only when advertisers and parents assume mutual responsibility for its content and exposure. (1690)

Text 2. In Game Advertising And The Placement of Ads in Video Games

After reading the text below answer these questions:

1) What is in game advertising?

2) When does product placement in video games work?

3) How far will advertising in video games go?

In-game advertising offers a unique platform for advertisers to influence potential buyers, but is product placement in video games a turn-off for gamers?

In game advertising, also known as IGA, is simply the placement of different brands within games. This technique started with billboard advertisements along race tracks, a standard visual ad for the consumer to be exposed to. It has evolved into an actual brand experience — while playing, consumers can actually interact with products.

There are many reasons that placing products in video games can serve as an effective advertising technique. Video games are a source of entertainment. Being exposed to a brand while enjoying a leisure activity can put a positive connotation in the mind of the consumer, thus increasing the likeliness of a purchase.

Also, in game advertising is a brand experience. The average consumer is exposed to dozens of ads during the course of a day from television commercials to images plastered along public buses. This overexposure can cause potential buyers to tune out the messages marketers are trying to send. With advertising in video games the messages can be integrated into the playing experience.

Ads in video games offer a new medium for marketers and a source of revenue for the gaming industry. While creative product placement may be accepted by gamers, and in some cases enhance the gaming experience, poor placement can have a negative effect for both the marketers trying to encourage the purchase of products and for the gaming companies trying to sell video games. If an ad takes away from the sense of realism then a brand may annoy a potential consumer. If in game advertising continues to grow, leading to more and more products in games, gamers may choose the video games that are not saturated with commercialism. (1526)

Notes: turn-off – a thing that people do not find interesting