Tracking Ads on the School Run: What Families are Noticing

The “Adspotters” project is a new campaign aiming to gather data on the types of advertisements that families and children encounter during daily activities, specifically on the school run. The initiative seeks to understand the volume of ads children are exposed to, the potential impact these ads have on young minds, and what alternatives could be introduced in public spaces. Led by Charlotte Gage, the project focuses on collecting information about the frequency and nature of advertising in urban settings, particularly the advertisements displayed on billboards, bus stops, and other public spaces in cities like Bristol.

One of the driving forces behind the project is the lack of existing data on outdoor advertising and its effects on children. While the advertising industry is well-regulated in digital and television spaces, the physical ads that children see on the streets are much less controlled and more difficult to avoid. Gage emphasizes that these ads cannot be “turned off” like TV or online commercials, making them a pervasive presence in children’s everyday environments.

Ms. Gage believes that outdoor advertising shapes children’s ideas of what is normal and desirable long before parents have the chance to discuss these concepts with them. For example, ads promoting fast food, processed snacks, fashion, and cars often present these products as aspirational or essential. Gage raises concerns about the subliminal influence these ads might have on children, especially considering the environmental and health-related implications of the products being marketed.

Anna Bryher, a participant in the project, highlights the influence of specific advertisements on her children. She notes that her kids noticed a donut ad and started talking about Halloween sweets. Bryher reflects on the power of ads to subtly influence children’s desires and perceptions, even when they don’t fully understand the underlying marketing strategies. She feels that while her kids understand that ads are designed to encourage people to buy things, they may not be aware of the broader psychological impact these messages can have. This concerns her, especially with ads promoting unhealthy food choices, fast fashion, and cars, all of which raise ethical questions about their environmental and societal impacts.

Bristol, the city where the campaign is being piloted, has the majority of its public advertising spaces, including billboards and bus stop ads, owned by private companies or managed by advertising agencies contracted by the Bristol City Council. This means that the city’s streets are heavily populated with commercial messages controlled by a small number of corporate entities. According to Gage, this level of saturation normalizes the constant bombardment of ads, especially those promoting products that may be harmful to both people and the planet.

Ms. Gage and the Adspotters campaign aim to raise awareness about how much influence advertising has over public spaces, especially spaces frequented by children. She advocates for greater community control over what is displayed in these areas, calling for a shift from corporate ownership of public advertising spaces to more community-driven decisions about what messages should be present in children’s daily environments.

The campaign is particularly interested in alternatives to the current model of advertising. Instead of ads promoting consumerism, the Adspotters project wants to explore what types of messages could enhance public spaces without the overt goal of selling products. For example, ads could be replaced with messages promoting environmental sustainability, health, community values, or educational content that benefits both children and adults. These alternatives would aim to reduce the influence of consumer-driven messaging and instead promote messages that align more closely with public well-being and communal interests.

The Adspotters campaign is backed by Adfree Cities, an organization advocating for a reduction in urban advertising and its replacement with public service messages and other non-commercial content. Adfree Cities argues that advertising in public spaces should prioritize messages that serve the community rather than corporate interests. The organization has expressed concerns over the environmental and psychological impacts of advertising, particularly ads promoting products that contribute to pollution, poor health outcomes, or unsustainable consumption patterns.

As part of its effort to expand the project, Adfree Cities plans to roll out the Adspotters initiative in more cities across the UK later this year. The organization aims to gather as much data as possible about the types of ads children are exposed to and assess the potential harm caused by these pervasive marketing messages. By doing so, they hope to inform future policy decisions that could lead to greater regulation of outdoor advertising and increased community control over public spaces.

The campaign’s long-term goal is to foster public dialogue about the role of advertising in children’s lives and to encourage policymakers to consider stricter regulations for outdoor ads, particularly those in areas heavily trafficked by children. While digital ads and television commercials are subject to age-appropriate guidelines and parental controls, outdoor ads remain largely unchecked in terms of their appropriateness for children. Adfree Cities and the Adspotters project are pushing for a reconsideration of the current outdoor advertising model, suggesting that it may be time to reevaluate who controls public spaces and what messages are allowed to dominate those spaces.

In conclusion, the Adspotters campaign shines a light on the pervasive nature of outdoor advertising and its impact on children, families, and public spaces. By asking families to actively record the ads they see on their daily commutes, the project seeks to build a comprehensive picture of how advertising shapes perceptions and behaviors, particularly among young people. Through this research, Adfree Cities hopes to inspire a movement towards reclaiming public spaces for community-driven, non-commercial purposes that align more closely with societal well-being, environmental sustainability, and ethical consumption.