President’s Choice is clearly not on board with the whole “healthy kids” fad. They’re running a commercial right now where a mother is in a hammock reading a book beside a pool full of kids. The kids are playing Marco Polo, and when the ad starts up, the mother is smiling serenely enjoying her book, and a sunny summer afternoon.
But then the cries of “Marco!” “Polo!” begin to wear on her. Rambuctious little brats, and their loud active games. And her ingenious solution?
“Who wants ice cream?”
And so the commercial closes, happily ever after, with her getting the peace and quiet she needs to enjoy her book, with the kids all silenced at the edge of the pool eating their big bowls of chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
I understand the “hook” of this commercial. As someone who enjoys kids in moderation, but finds the magical sounds of the playground grate on her like so many nails on a chalkboard, a dozen little darlings shouting “MARCO! POLO!” would indeed, break my summer bubble.
But in real life I would never go tell a group of kids to stop playing (and by extension, exercising) because I was having trouble focusing on my “M is for Murder” serial (unless they were on my lawn, in which case they might get a round of “get offa my lawn!” and possibly a fist-shaking).
And in real life, it seems not only ignorant but irresponsible of a food company to, even playfully, suggest getting kids to be quiet by feeding them large servings of sugary treats.
Although, in real life, that tactic would also backfire on the paperback parent, who in about 15 minutes is going to feel, see, and hear the hyperactive repercussions of their short-sighted solution.