Kid kustomers summery essay
Devin FifeAebischer
Professor Kathy
English 20122
January 13, 2015
Summary Essay:
Marketing; strategizes on the Youth
“The growth in children’s advertising has been driven by efforts to increase not just current, but also future, consumption. Hoping that nostalgic childhood memories of a brand will lead to a lifetime of purchases..” The author of “Kid Kustomers”, Eric Schlosser is a very successful writer and journalist who writes for Atlantic Monthly, and has previously written for The Rolling Stone, The
NewYorker, and Vanity Fair where he has produced countless successful articles. “Kid Kustomers” by
Eric Schlosser is an essay written about the way marketing agencies have changed their target demographic from adults to young children in hopes to create a “Cradle to Grave” advertising strategy.
Schlosser begins the essay by explaining the differences between marketing agencies 25 years ago and today. Before the 1980’s and 90’s, most marketing agencies only advertised for the demographic that they knew would want their product at that time. That was until the “Decade of the
Child consumer” as many marketing experts call it, where marketing agencies realized that working parents are more willing to spend money on materialistic items for their kids to keep them happy. Most all big marketing agencies around that time realized the potential opportunity they had to create a loyalforlife fan to their brand, so in turn most every ad agency created a children division to their company. The children divisions of the companies were completely focused on how to market their brand to stick in young kids minds. The best example of this that Schlosser brings up in the article is the old Camel Cigarettes mascot, “Joe Camel”. Joe Camel was a cartoon character that the camel cigarettes brand invented to help market their product to a younger crowd and it worked perfectly. A
study done in 1991 showed that almost all american kids age six, could
Professor Kathy
English 20122
January 13, 2015
Summary Essay:
Marketing; strategizes on the Youth
“The growth in children’s advertising has been driven by efforts to increase not just current, but also future, consumption. Hoping that nostalgic childhood memories of a brand will lead to a lifetime of purchases..” The author of “Kid Kustomers”, Eric Schlosser is a very successful writer and journalist who writes for Atlantic Monthly, and has previously written for The Rolling Stone, The
NewYorker, and Vanity Fair where he has produced countless successful articles. “Kid Kustomers” by
Eric Schlosser is an essay written about the way marketing agencies have changed their target demographic from adults to young children in hopes to create a “Cradle to Grave” advertising strategy.
Schlosser begins the essay by explaining the differences between marketing agencies 25 years ago and today. Before the 1980’s and 90’s, most marketing agencies only advertised for the demographic that they knew would want their product at that time. That was until the “Decade of the
Child consumer” as many marketing experts call it, where marketing agencies realized that working parents are more willing to spend money on materialistic items for their kids to keep them happy. Most all big marketing agencies around that time realized the potential opportunity they had to create a loyalforlife fan to their brand, so in turn most every ad agency created a children division to their company. The children divisions of the companies were completely focused on how to market their brand to stick in young kids minds. The best example of this that Schlosser brings up in the article is the old Camel Cigarettes mascot, “Joe Camel”. Joe Camel was a cartoon character that the camel cigarettes brand invented to help market their product to a younger crowd and it worked perfectly. A
study done in 1991 showed that almost all american kids age six, could