Should TV ads aimed at children be banned in Australia?

The advertising industry is facing harsh criticism these days: advertising is blamed for the growth in childhood obesity, materialism and the commercialisation of childhood. Concerned voices are calling for stricter laws and regulations for advertising that targets children. This paper examines the situation in countries where advertising targeting children has been banned in broadcast media. It then evaluates the efficacy of introducing similar regulations in Australia. Academic literature and recent discussions in the “ban-countries” do not provide evidence that this type of regulated response has the desired effect, nor do they demonstrate that advertising leads to, for example, obesity in the first place. It would appear that only anecdotal evidence supports this connection. This situation should be seen as an opportunity for the industry to act responsibly, rather than a need to ban advertising to children.