As with all advertising campaigns the intention is to sell a company's product. Adverts for toys frequently promote the sale not just of one individual item but an entire range.
Toy advertisements may be aimed at two particular groups: children and adults. When advertising to children, the excitement or fun are paramount. Products are brightly coloured, fast moving, and associated with famous brand-names such as current film releases or TV characters. Careful packaging improves the attractiveness; for example in using large boxes. Toys which are too expensive for a child to afford directly can still be promoted by recommending pester power; telling children what to say to their parents to persuade them to buy it. The robustness, lifespan, flexibility of the toy is often not a priority.
When advertising toys to adults, the educational benefits are often promoted. The claims may not always be proven true, although outright lying in advertising is generally illegal. Making parents feel guilty for not giving their children the best resources is common.
The term "pester power" refers to children nagging their parents to buy a product. Children will repeatedly ask them to buy a toy they want, and such insistence often leads to a purchase.[1]
| “ | Young children have difficulty distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world | ” |
| —Consumer Reports, [2] | ||
Toy advertising campaigns may be targeted to children and their parents, with different methods for each. Marketing towards adults is intended to make them believe that the product would be beneficial for the child, often stressing the educational gains that they will make.
Children up to the age of five can find it difficult to distinguish between the main programmes and commercial breaks and can easily be led to "need" something they see on television.[2] This is particularly difficult for them when a toy range is linked to a television series they are watching.[3] Many children do not understand the intentions of marketing and commercials until the age of eight, often believing a toy to be more functional than it really is.[2]
Many toys are directed towards one specific sex and tailor their advertising to meet the needs of that particular sex.[4]
Like other consumer products, toys may also be offered as sets. While each one may be affordable, it would be a significant investment to "collect them all".
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