Bill over at Make the Logo Bigger weighs in on the use of kids to push causes that perhaps can’t push themselves.
Should kids be involved in “adult” debates that have as much to do with their futures as ours? It’s easy to say yes. But in cause-oriented ads, we often find them confidently taking positions fed to them by other adults (who should presumably be engaging in the discourse themselves).
By and large, kids depend our protection and sound judgment. One reason why The Exorcist and The Shining were so scary is that, when put in the position to strike fear or conviction into an adult, the young wield massive emotional force.
If the viewpoint of children makes us more emotional than critical, maybe we should indeed confine their marketing savvy to selling cookies, rather than selling political positions or causes.
