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In the early 1900s, companies created stories for children that included their product. Children were also advertised to though sponsored radio shows, and through school, where principals served as an endorsement.
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Companies started to hold contests to encourage children to use their product. One example is the Winchester Rifle Company, which held shooting contests for kids.
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Children could join loyalty clubs for various companies. They would recieve prizes and a higher status the more they consumed the product.
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With most American homes having a television, advertising begins through sponsered TV programs. There are no commercials like we know them today at this point. Advertising on TV is targeted to adults and children, because there is no children's programs, all shows we made to appeal to the whole family.
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Besides the use of TV commercials to advertise to children, food product companies created cookbooks teaching children how to cook using their product, and toy and bike ads were fetured on the back of comic books.
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We start to see 30 secnd commercials like they are today. Intrest in marketing to children grows.
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Parents had issues with Cigarette companies like this one, Camel, using cartoon characters to advertise their product, because they worried that it was trying to target kids.
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Concern with children being exposed to advertsiments grows.
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The Children's Advertising Review Unit is formed to regulate advertisments targeted to children.
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Advertiser target children through the internet. Using social media sites, and advergames.
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In the late 90s til today, Children are marketed to in the form of advergames, like this one where you can play a game using M&Ms. Advergames are a combination of a game and an advertisment. Ideal for marketers, because it allows for much more exposure to the brand than commercials do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPlTrgiE2sc&feature=related
