Trix are for Kids

This here is an advertisement for Abercrombie and Fitch, which Klein specifically mentions as one of the companies to immerse themselves in the P.C. Marketing craze. This is a commercial about wrestling. What is interesting about this commercial is that it not only appeals to the homosexual community (even though I do not agree completely, wrestling has been labeled a somewhat homosexual sport), but on the flip side, wrestling can also be seen by some as being very masculine and macho. This not only appeals to the gay community, but it is not limited to just that specific identity.


The second video is the famous, "Trix are for Kids" video that has been around since the 80's, but not so much today. Regardless, this message is clearly targeting the kids market. This is significant because, as Klein states on page 119: "The message is clear: get the kids and you've got the whole family and future market." (Klein 119). In addition, reading a little further down the page, Elissa Moses, who is the senior VP of the advertising agency, said that the arrival of the global teen demographic was "one of the greatest marketing opportunities of all time." (Klein 119). Although there are many advertisement strategies geared toward adults, the fact of the matter is that kids are so easily influenced and so susceptible to advertising tricks that it would be crazy for these companies NOT to gear their advertising brands toward such a vulnerable population.

The similarities between these two constructions of identity is that they both target groups of the population that are very vulnerable, in a sense. Kids are vulnerable in that they simply do not know any better; they do not yet have the ability to look at an advertisement and afterward, say to themselves "this is a load of crap, this commercial is trying to trick me into buying their product." They simply see the advertisement and because "Trix are for kids," they feel they can identify with that, (because after all they are kids) and go out and convince their parents to buy the product. The gay community is vulnerable as well in the sense that they are still a "minority" in this population in terms of how many gay people there really are, and seeing tanned, sweaty, muscular men gives them not only an identity but something to aspire to as well. The differences between these two advertisements is that the Trix commercial is targeted more towards a specific demographic (kids), whereas the Abercrombie ad is targeted more towards a "lifestyle." Also, the Abercrombie ad could be geared towards not only gay men but masculine men who are very comfortable with their sexuality, but straight, whereas the Trix ad is targeted towards kids and only kids.