Television and Media - The Power of Advertising :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The Power of Advertising Advertising has an influence on everyone in one way or another, but it especially has had an influence on my children. Catchy jingles, cute slogans, and cartoon characters are all key factors that have hooked my children on certain products. Advertising influences the toys they want, the clothes they wear, and the food they eat. Advertising influences my children's choice of toys. If a television commercial displays children laughing and playing, my children think it must be a great toy, regardless of the type. For example, my three-year-old desperately wants a skateboard for Christmas. Every time he sees a skateboard commercial, he gets excited. He believes that if he had a skateboard, he would instantly have the same fun and skill as the boys on television. He also wants a fingernail kit. He does not know what a fingernail kit is, but he likes the glitter and stickers the commercial shows. The more appealing the commercial is, the more he wants the toy. Another influence advertising has had is on the clothes my children want to wear. Clothes from Wal-Mart and K-Mart are no longer satisfactory. Brand names such as GAP, Tommy Hilfiger, and American Eagle are much more appealing to them. My teenage daughter is constantly looking through catalogs and magazines, examining each outfit down to the last detail. She is continuously wanting to change her wardrobe to keep up with the latest fashion trends and most popular brand names. Of course, clothes endorsed by celebrities are always at the top of her shopping list. Last, advertising influences the food my children want to eat. Cartoon characters are placed on boxes of foods such as crackers and cereal to influence young children. For instance, I was grocery shopping with my young son the other day, and he asked me if I would buy him some yogurt to have for breakfast. I reached for the cheapest brand off the shelf and was about to put it in the cart when he said, "I want the Rugrats' yogurt." I had no idea what he was talking about until he pointed to the shelf behind me. There I saw a six-pack container of yogurt with pictures of Rugrats characters on the label.