Mattel faces charges for advertising to children on YouTube
Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2025 5:32 am
Mattel do Brasil Ltda., a well-known toy manufacturer, was ordered by the Court of Justice of São Paulo (TJ-SP) to stop advertising to children on YouTube, since children and adolescents do not have the discernment to understand what is organic content and what is advertising.
The 'Você Youtuber Escola Monster High' action was reported by the Alana Institute to the Public Ministry of São Paulo in 2017, and the outcome is a milestone in cases of child advertising.
The campaign was conducted with a young YouTuber, through make-believe content in a school context. The target audience was girls aged 4 to 16, who were encouraged to record v bolivia phone number data ideos completing the challenge proposed by the hired YouTuber. Each week, one participant was chosen to win a Monster High doll, costumes of the characters and a backpack with licensed products of the brand and printed with designs of the dolls. In addition, two tickets to a 'Get-together', as if it were a graduation event of the 'School', held at Mattel headquarters with the participation of the influencer, were also part of the prize.
Livia Cattaruzzi, a lawyer for the Children and Consumption program at the Alana Institute, considered the decision a major victory. “The unprecedented decision by the Court of Justice of São Paulo is a warning to society as a whole, especially to companies that insist on commercially exploiting the vulnerability of children to promote their products and services, often in a veiled manner, and through social networks featuring children: we can no longer ignore the legal restrictions that prohibit advertising to children. It is unacceptable that children’s rights continue to be disregarded in the name of strictly commercial interests. Therefore, this decision is paradigmatic and reinforces the legal protection that already exists in the digital environment as well.”
Monster High - Monster Videos, Games - Monster High School ActivitiesIt is worth emphasizing that advertising should be directed at parents or guardians, who are the ones who are able to weigh up and identify the content and make the final decision. To learn more about the subject, it is worth reading the text we wrote about YouTubers and Children's Advertising .
Regarding child advertising laws in Brazil:
Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA)
Consumer Protection Code (CDC)
CONANDA Resolution No. 163 , of March 13, 2014, which provides for the abusive targeting of advertising and marketing communications to children and adolescents
Section 11 of the Brazilian Advertising Self-Regulation Code of the National Advertising Self-Regulation Council (CONAR)
Law No. 13,257 , of March 8, 2016, known as the Civil Framework for Early Childhood.
The 'Você Youtuber Escola Monster High' action was reported by the Alana Institute to the Public Ministry of São Paulo in 2017, and the outcome is a milestone in cases of child advertising.
The campaign was conducted with a young YouTuber, through make-believe content in a school context. The target audience was girls aged 4 to 16, who were encouraged to record v bolivia phone number data ideos completing the challenge proposed by the hired YouTuber. Each week, one participant was chosen to win a Monster High doll, costumes of the characters and a backpack with licensed products of the brand and printed with designs of the dolls. In addition, two tickets to a 'Get-together', as if it were a graduation event of the 'School', held at Mattel headquarters with the participation of the influencer, were also part of the prize.
Livia Cattaruzzi, a lawyer for the Children and Consumption program at the Alana Institute, considered the decision a major victory. “The unprecedented decision by the Court of Justice of São Paulo is a warning to society as a whole, especially to companies that insist on commercially exploiting the vulnerability of children to promote their products and services, often in a veiled manner, and through social networks featuring children: we can no longer ignore the legal restrictions that prohibit advertising to children. It is unacceptable that children’s rights continue to be disregarded in the name of strictly commercial interests. Therefore, this decision is paradigmatic and reinforces the legal protection that already exists in the digital environment as well.”
Monster High - Monster Videos, Games - Monster High School ActivitiesIt is worth emphasizing that advertising should be directed at parents or guardians, who are the ones who are able to weigh up and identify the content and make the final decision. To learn more about the subject, it is worth reading the text we wrote about YouTubers and Children's Advertising .
Regarding child advertising laws in Brazil:
Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA)
Consumer Protection Code (CDC)
CONANDA Resolution No. 163 , of March 13, 2014, which provides for the abusive targeting of advertising and marketing communications to children and adolescents
Section 11 of the Brazilian Advertising Self-Regulation Code of the National Advertising Self-Regulation Council (CONAR)
Law No. 13,257 , of March 8, 2016, known as the Civil Framework for Early Childhood.