Television Advertising to Children: An Analysis of Selected New Zealand Commercials

Whether advertising should be directed to children and, if so, how it should be governed, has always generated debate. This article investigated three issues currently causing concern: purchase request behaviour, gender stereotyping and aggression, and compared the results to a similar study conducted in 1989. While very few of the advertisements transgressed the Advertising Standards Authority Code on Advertising to Children with respect to purchase request behaviour and aggression, evidence of gender stereotyping was more pronounced. We conclude that industry and government regulatory bodies could play a more proactive role in promulgating the Codes of Practice, enjoining acceptance of them and enforcing their provisions.