ABSTRACT
Despite the fascination with new media, children and their parents still watch television – lots of it. It is the job of the advertisers to know their demographic, and as technology advances and more and more social media data become available, it's easier than ever to target the toy-minded audience. As the holidays approach, using toy commercials in the classroom is a great way to jump-start media literacy. Media literacy is also about understanding the production process, because most of us only see the finished media product – we rarely get to go behind the scenes to witness how a production moves from conception to completion. Toy advertisers, like most other advertisers, know that they must showcase their products in the best possible light. Sometimes that means using tricks and hoping unsuspecting viewers would not notice. These finely crafted messages are some of the most persuasive and influential ads on television.
