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You can find a full press release below
Transformers Marketing: More than Meets the Eye
Hasbro, DreamWorks Target Preschoolers with Violent PG-13 Movie;
CCFC calls for FTC Probe
Citing the widespread and irresponsible marketing
of the PG-13 Transformers movie to preschoolers, the Campaign for
a Commercial-Free Childhood called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
to expand their investigation of the marketing of violent entertainment
to children to include PG-13 movies. The film, which opens on July 4,
2007, was rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of sci-fi action violence,
brief sexual humor, and language” by the Motion Picture Association of
America (MPAA). A review by CCFC found more than one hundred
Transformers’ toys for children under six; Transformer
promotions by Kraft and Burger King clearly aimed at young children; and
advertisements for the movie on children’s television programming rated
appropriate for kids as young as two.
“It is extremely disappointing that Hasbro and
DreamWorks would choose to promote a film to preschool children that the
industry deems inappropriate for anyone under the age of thirteen,” said
CCFC’s Dr. Susan Linn, author of Consuming Kids. “In their
cynical attempt to wring every last dollar from one of this summer’s
blockbusters, these companies have shown little regard for children’s
well-being or parents’ desires to limit their children’s exposure to
violent entertainment.”
Every single one of the
one hundred and twenty-nine Hasbro Transformers toys
reviewed by CCFC came with a recommended age younger than thirteen.
Seventy-two of these products (56%) are recommended for children as
young as five; an additional thirty-two toys (25%) are recommended for
children as young as four; thirteen toys (10%) are recommended for
children as young as three. A toy promotion at Burger King is also for
children three and up.
“The sheer volume of toys aimed at preschoolers is
likely to deceive parents into believing that the film is appropriate
for young children,” said Dr. Linn. “Since every Transformers toy
is an ad for a PG-13 movie, the toys should carry a similar rating.”
CCFC also found advertising for the Transformer
movie, toys, and Burger King promotion during children’s programming
on the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. Over the past thirteen months,
the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) – the advertising
industry’s self-appointed watchdog – has found advertising for five
different PG-13 films during children’s television programming, but no
disciplinary action was announced. Because CARU is unwilling or unable
to stop the marketing of violent PG-13 movies to young children, CCFC is
calling on the FTC to intervene.
“As long as there are millions of dollars to be
made by advertising PG-13 movies to young children, the film industry
will continue to ignore CARU’s recommendations,” said CCFC’s Dr. Allen
Kanner. “This is just the latest indication that decades of
self-regulation has failed. If we really want media companies to stop
marketing violent entertainment to children, we need a regulatory body
that has the authority to actually enforce its own regulations.”
Since 2000, the FTC has issued regular reports on
the marketing of violent entertainment to children. Those reports,
however, only examine the marketing plans of R-rated movies. In a
letter sent today to FTC Chairperson Deborah Platt Majoras, CCFC urged
the Commission to:
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Expand its investigation of marketing violent entertainment to include the targeting of PG-13 movies to younger children.
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Launch an investigation of the blatant and irresponsible marketing of Transformers to preschool children through toys, food promotions and television advertising.
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Work with the media and toy industries to establish a consistent set of ratings for toys and the media they are based on and to establish clear, enforceable guidelines for the marketing of PG-13 movies.
The complete text of CCFC’s letter can be found at:
http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/pressreleases/transformersftcletter.pdf.