Commercial vs. product placement: A study with young children

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

The aim of this study is to investigate how young children (5-7 years old) are affected by commercials and product placements regarding the detection of advertising content, brand awareness and brand choice. We also wanted to study the relation of those variables with age (children before and after entering into primary school) and gender. For it, 75 children were presented to a controlled experimental approach called “the theatre methodology”. Surprisingly, no differences among ages were verified in the detection of advertising as well as significant difference among the effect of advertisement between genders. Other important considerations for advertisers, parents and policy makers are presented in this report.