Emotional Marketing and How it Gets You

I hate the fact they give toys with happy meals. They just add more junk to my house, and of course (when given the choice) my kids would rather go somewhere where their meal comes with a toy. They already like junk food enough. They don't need toys as an extra incentive / positive association to make them like it more.

Jodie

Our kids are all grown now, but when they were little, my friends and I would collect all of those Happy Meal toys from our kids rooms (and every other corner, it seemed!)and give them to the elementary school teachers to use as incentives for good behavior/work/ or whatever they deemed appropriate. What was funny was when one of our kids would come home with their "prize" that only days before I'd retrieved from the toybox and donated to their teacher! :)

Ann

When my son was about five we started evaluating our want for McDonalds. I would ask him, "Are you hungry or do you just want a toy" He learned easily that McDonalds isn't good food and he employees the same tactic on his friends who begged for happy meals. Sometimes if the you was really good, we bought the toy and went home for dinner.

carolyn

I just finished reading an excellent book titled "Sugar, Fat, Salt" all about the marketing of processed food. It opened my eyes to the fact that all the major food companies use scientific laboratories to experiment on the best ways to get us "hooked" on their products. I can't do the book justice here, but I won't be buying any boxed "helpers", not that I made a habit of that. The stuff in the ingredients lists of most processed food is horrible. And way too much sodium for anyone looking after their health. And while a hamburger at a fast food place is not the greatest of healthy foods, just check out the calorie count for one at a sit down family restaurant. I haven't found one basic burger in a place like Ruby Tuesday, Chili's or Applebee's under a thousand calories.

Debra Poore

I agree I don't particularly like mcdonalds food either but I do have to speak on behalf of all elementary teachers... Yes we appreciate these toys being donated!!! They are a huge help! They save us money and time. I use them as prizes that the kids can earn on Fridays if they have had good behavior all week. The last 2 years I have not had parents donating like I had in the past and would have to go purchase dollar store items to stock my prize box which would easily cost $50 to $60 for one nine weeks!!!! That hurts the wallet! And I do prefer giving them toy prizes rather than sugary candy! So yes teachers do appreciate... At least I do!

Katie

This is really nice topic, which is very useful for me.

Praveen Saanker

I wonder how good Happy Meal sales would be if you had the option to skip the toy and get a discount on the purchase price? The value of both meal and toy would be exposed. ;)

Patticake

2 points:

1. Hugs and tears television shows are nothing more than marketing that we all subsidize at the checkout line. Capitalism masquerading as humanitarianism.

2. How much of our thinking is actually our own?

Ed