Internet Is Not Safe: Toys“R”Us ads raise awareness of Internet vigilance
updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:07
Being on the Internet can sometimes be as dangerous as hanging around a very bad neighbourhood. Toys “R” Us intends to educate parents about this.
Today, more and more children are fascinated by the Internet. From an early age, many are already addicted to it, to some extent. They use it to watch cartoons and educational videos, play various games, print templates to colour in and so on. But there are safe and unsafe things out there, with inappropriate content and very dangerous people. Being on the Internet can sometimes be as dangerous as hanging around a very bad neighbourhood. Laws and experts on Internet safety and security exist, but parents have to take most responsibility for their children’s online protection. They must be vigilant as soon as their little ones begin to surf, and teach them how to use the Internet safely.
To raise awareness in parents and push them to closely monitor their children’s Internet activity, Toys “R”Us teamed up with the advertising agency Miami Ad School/ESPM to design a series of print ads entitled “Internet is not safe”. The series highlights how much an innocuous and ordinary request such as “Barbie Housewife”, “To infinity and beyond” or “Max steel playing hard” can result in critical and suggestive findings; for example, Barbie cleaning blood off the floor and Ken’s in the fridge, Buzz Lightyear with pills in his hands, and Ken handcuffed to the bed.
The humour used does not detract from the seriousness of the cause! Quite the contrary, the dedicated toy products retailer brilliantly makes a point about dangerous and inappropriate online content!
Lindsay Poui-Di
