MOTIVATING EFFECT OF ADVERTISEMENTS ON CHILD PERCEPTION: YOGHURT ADVERTISEMENTS AS A CASE SAMPLE

Abstract

The effects of advertisements on both adults and children in terms of determining consumption tendency, perception of social role models, articulation of and separation from established cultural/ societal values are among the subject of discourse in the scientific sphere. However, there are significant differences between the levels of being influenced of advertisements by adults and children. Naturally adults have a much more advantageous position in understanding the ad’s purpose or that the broadcast/published image is an ad or piece of fiction. Among the commercials in both print and visual media aimed to increase the sales of a product by making it known, the ads related to food sector are perhaps the most important fictional constructs, as they are influential on general consumption tendencies. In this sense, declaring the negative health effects of some advertised products gains more importance. For example, according to Consumers’ Association officials argued that gelatine coming from pork was being used to produce yoghurt, and the Ministry of Health was then concerned about the claims. Additionally, officials from the Ministry of Education emphasise that children are not aware, the purpose of commercials are “to sell more products”, and they are targeted by many different commercials about take-home foods including flavoured yoghurt. The main aim of this article is to focus on the ways children’s mental and physical development is shaped by yoghurt advertisements.