Wal-Mart back-to-school ad is bad for parents

Wal-Mart's "Kiss" Back-to-School TV Commercial doesn't merely touch your heart.  That would be a legitimate way to catch your attention and your back-to-school dollars.  I believe this commercial railroads your emotions and redirects your actions into an unhealthy parenting solution.  This ad targets a parent's natural feelings of helplessness then offers a superficial consumer-solution to deep-seated parent anxiety which I believe betrays parent trust.  See what you think...

 

It's one thing to claim your product can relieve the discomfort of hemorrhoids.  It's manipulative and underhanded to offer parents a "quick fix" shopping remedy to the essential developmental challenge of going back to school.  We cannot lose focus on the importance of teaching relationship-based skills: encouraging a child's independence, helping a child adapt to change and new situations, helping a child learn age-appropriate social skills, and nurturing a child's resilience through real-life challenges.

Quick fixes are enticing.  Of course, parents would sleep easier knowing they can "buy" protection, friendship, and acceptance for their children.  Parents are the ones that lose most with this ad.  It's the "pill" that helps you sleep through the night but the fear is never put to bed.

 

Topics: parenting