Product Placement is HUGE! -except for toys...

Interestingly enough the industry which has gotten the most flack for absurd childrens marketing, the toy industry, has largely been left out of the product placement phenomenon.

According to Nielsen Product Placement, there were 69 occurences of toy product placement from September to March 12th of that year. In comparison, as I mentioned earlier- Apple had over 250 in one 4 month period.

Sara Rosales, Mattel's VP of communications offers an explanation. "There aren't that many shows focused on families. You can't place a product where it doesn't belong".

Another reason mentioned in the article calls upon the ethical dilemma in marketing in such a way to impressionable children. It's possible that companies are gun shy after being targeted so harshly in the past two decades for their tactics.

In Product Placement Game, Toys Largely on the Sidelines- Jim Edwards- Brandweek- Apr. 3rd, 2006.