Have you ever wondered why some kids remember ad jingles better than they do nursery rhymes or even the alphabet?

Targeting the child consumer is not new but the truth behind child-centered advertising can be scary. And the reason why large corporate firms and advertising agencies are so intent on hooking kids is that the child of today is also tomorrow’s consumer.

Child-centered advertising is based on a truth ad agencies (which often hire the expertise of child psychologists) use in a subliminal and devious way: that brand loyalty begins as early as age two.

Going by the diabolical-sounding term, ‘cradle-to-grave’ advertising, fast food and cola companies realize that children can recognize a brand logo before they can recognize their own name. This explains why marketing logos are designed to be hip and cool and even cartoon-like, so that they impact on young, impressionable and developing minds.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association <http://www.naturalnews.com/Journal_of_the_American_Medical_Association.html>  in 1991 (when Joe Camel ads were all over the media) revealed that almost every American six-year-old could identify Joe Camel, making him as recognizable as Mickey Mouse!

So even if six-year-olds don’t smoke at that early age, the assumption cigarette companies make is that they remember ‘how cool it is to smoke’ later in life. The same reasoning applies to advertisements and logos of soda and cola companies.

Some surveys have found that one-fifth of American one- and two-year-olds drink soda (some are even fed McDonald’s milk shake from baby bottles!). Apart from the obvious fat-inducing characteristics of colas, these soft drinks are also addictive due to their caffeine content.