FOOD COMPANIES TARGETING KIDS ONLINE
Greedy marketing executives have found a new way of selling their products to
children : Internet games. The world’s junk food makers are trying to sell their burgers,
chocolate and soft drinks to children who play games online. A new report says more than
eighty percent of the world’s food companies are using this sly new method. The report was
created by America’s Kaiser Family Foundation. It is called “It's Child's Play: Advergaming
and the Online Marketing of Food to Children *”. It is the first major analysis of how food
companies advertise to children on the Web. It highlights the tactics of companies such as
Mars, Hersheys and McDonalds in targeting kids. The report says online ads are more
.effective than TV ads at hooking children
Sadly, the report brings a new word into the English vocabulary – the
“advergame”. This is a technique to get kids hooked while they are having fun online. In
addition, many other marketing tactics are used to get kids to spend long periods of time
online. The food companies fill the games with logos and advertisements. They encourage
children to e-mail their friends about products and brands. They also recommend children
join special clubs related to the games. Children can increase their chances of winning
games by buying the products and typing in special codes found inside the packaging. Many
.people are worried about the role food advertising plays in childhood obesity
The Washington post/24th
July,2006
Ex1/The text above is talking about: a-Advergaming. b-Junk food. c- Tv
.ads in America
Ex2/Are these statements (True) or (False) according to the text:
a-Advertisers have found a way of protecting kids from ads.
b-Junk food companies are targeting kids who play in playgrounds.
c-Kids can get extra online power if they buy specially packaged goods.
.d-Many people believe the adv can help combat childhood obesity
:Ex3/Fill in the table with the right information from the text
Kinds of advs Junk food American food companies
- - -
- - -
Ex4/Answer these questions according to the text:
a-What is meant by "advergaming"?
?b-How can kids get extra online games
Ex5/What or who do the underlined words refer to in the text:
a-It(§1) b-They(§2)
Ex6/Find in the text words whose definitions are the following:
a-Having strong desire for too much money(§1)
b-Notice in newspaper, on tv, in internet inviting people to buy a product(§2)
c-Period of somebody's life when s/he is child(§2)
Ex7/Divide these words into roots & suffixes:
Greedy – childhood – companies - discouraging
Prefix Root Suffix
Ex8/Combine the following pairs of sentences using the connectors in
:brackets/make any necessary changes
a-Advertisers fill online games with advertisement/they want kids to buy their products (so
that) b-To win games children are encouraged to type in special codes/these
special codes are found in packaging (which)
Ex9/Classify these words according the pronunciation of their final /s/:
products – games – tactics – chances
/s / /z / /iz/
Ex10/Fill in each gap with only one word from the list:
(lifestyle – money – advertising – fatter)
The biggest reasons that people are…….1………..are that they have
more……...2………..& they are spending it on fast food.Steve Wiggins said:"changes
in……….3……………increasing availability of processed foods &…………4………….have all led
" to dietary changes
