Saturday, November 6, 2010

Playing with an anti-restaurant message

Health advocates blast restaurant chains for using toys to influence kids’ thinking. But it looks as if the industry is being victimized by the same dynamic.

Snap on the TV during Saturday morning cartoons and you’ll likely see a commercial for what promises to be a popular toy this holiday season. It’s called Pop the Pig, and it features a sizeable plastic pig sitting on its haunches, mouth agape. It’s the centerpiece of a game where the players take turns feeding fast-food-style hamburgers into the pig until the belt around its balloon-like belly pops open.

The indirect message is clear: Keep wolfing down those burgers and you’ll burst like an overstuffed pig.

Menu-labeling information is apparently not included.

1 comment:

Lessons From a student said...

As someone not many years out of being interested in those toys. I'd say the gimmick works. Sad but true =]. Interesting blog ^_^