Little Sales-people

Don't try to tell me that advertising doesn't work.

Because it does.

At least with my kids, that is. Generally speaking, my kids have pretty much zero tv time every day. Now I do let them usually watch a movie everyday, so it's not like they are totally deprived. But we don't have cable so they don't get to watch all the fun kid channels. And for some reason the PBS station here has a very goofy schedule, so I just cut out all tv time during the week. It gets in the way of doing school with the girls anyway.

But on the weekends, my girls get to watch Saturday morning cartoons. I'm picky about the cartoons they watch on Saturday mornings, but there are two network channel show line-ups that I'm okay with them viewing so for them it's a big treat to wake up and veg out in front of the tv. And boy do they enjoy it!

The only problem with the girls' Saturday cartoon watching habit is that unlike PBS or some of the kid's channels on cable tv, there are commercials. Really dumb commercials. Of course there are the typical ads selling the newest and neatest must-have toys, but also a lot by Skechers selling their kid's line of shoes. (Adrianne's current obsession? Twinkle Toes, which she is NOT getting because they cost $40!!! For a pair of KID'S shoes!!!! I don't even spend that much on MY shoes!)

But there are also a surprising amount of commercials about adult products, including a lot of "as seen on tv" type products. My girls are constantly telling me I need to buy some Shoes Under for all our shoe storing needs, even though we already HAVE two over-the-door shoe storage pockets. Recently there has been some advertisement for a cream you apply to the back of your heels to keep the skin from getting cracked and peeling (I don't know the name for this "miracle product"). And don't even get me started on the number of acne fighting products. You know there is something wrong with the ads on tv when your 4 year old asks you what a "blemish" is (because really, everyone in the REAL world refers to them as pimples!).

Yet the most surprising times it becomes apparent that my kids have been brainwashed by the various advertising agencies is when they repeat a tag-line or commercial jingle in a real life situation. For example, when Riley heard that we would be getting our rental car from Enterprise, she immediately chimed in, "Enterprise. They'll pick you up!". She's also told us that, "Geico. Fifteen minutes.....save you money!". Adrianne's had her fair share of parrot-ing something she's heard from an ad too.

So yes multi-billion dollar advertising companies. I would like to congratulate you on a job well done.