One of the hottest topics in advertising is whether it is ethical to advertise to children. On side of the debate are the moralists who claim that children up to the age of ten cannot distinguish advertising from programming. By this logic, the state should intervene and protect children from advertising. Some researchers disagree, however. One British study showed that the idea that children under the age of 12 fail to understand the purpose of advertising is just plain wrong.
Lego, the Danish toy group, favors industry self-regulation. The company claims that Lego’s toys are designed to educate and entertain. Advertising allows the firm to explain the virtues of its toys. Some people also argue that advertising bans and regulations are often matters of vested interests dressed up as moral causes. Sweden’s restrictions on toy advertising may explain why Swedish toys are at least 30 percent more expensive than elsewhere in Europe. Likewise, some claim that the real purpose of Greece’s ban on TV toy advertising was to protect the local toy industry from cheap Asian imports that have to advertise their way into the marketplace.
What is your viewpoint in this debate? Is self-regulation the ultimate solution here as Lego claims?