From Barbie and Sponge Bob to Body Image and Sex: Advertising Appeals to Teenagers, Adolescents and Children

• In Event: From Babies to Teens…Advertising, News Adoption, and Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine advertising in children and teen magazines in relation to Piaget’s stage theory of cognitive development. Fifty-six children and teen magazines published in the spring and fall of 2008 were examined to determine the types of advertising appeals, and whether advertisements were appropriate for the target audience. Based off the Children’s Advertising Review Unit guidelines, the authors examined 418 advertisements to find trends and appeals within these magazines.

Authors

• Cynthia Nichols, University of Alabama

• Andrea Duke, University of Alabama

• Skye Chance Cooley, University of Alabama