Filed under: Just listened to ...
We’ve taken our kids to McDonalds maybe five times in their lives. Of those maybe two were not on road trips.
Yet on our last road trip they twigged to the fact that lunch beneath the golden arches means a cheap, free toy.
Since then, our son has been very attuned to junk food advertising. He’s yet to distinguish between the different chains, but if he ever sees advertising for any of them he very quickly starts talking about going to McDonalds and getting a toy.
The scariest part is that we watch maybe 30 minutes of commercial TV a week and he gets enough of their advertising to have advanced his comprehension of what’s on offer.
We shall not be giving in to this anytime soon, having already flagged this kind of food as a road trip convenience/indulgence.
But it sure is scary how well this stuff works.
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Simon,
Comment by Ben Haslem September 11, 2007 @ 5:27 amOur four-year-old also knows road trips = “Donalds” = toy.
But over the APEC weekend we went up to the in-laws’ farm near Singleton and Donalds = a playground. No mention of a toy or chippies.
Could McDonalds be encouraging our kids to engage in physical activity?!
He and little brother were asleep when we pulled into the McD’s drive through in Maitland on Sunday. He still doesn’t know he missed Donalds. Had to hide the evidence (bag, wrappers with the tell-tale golden arches) under wife’s feet.