ADdicted: No Smartphones for Kids

We're bombarded with messages every single day.

They're everywhere we look. Television commercials, digital ads, email promotions, bus shelter ads, in-store signage, on-shelf merchandising...

But I'm willing to bet you ignore more of them.

It's a self-preservation mechanism, really. We can't possibly absorb the thousands of messages we see everywhere we look, so we train our brains to filter out everything not immediately recognized as important or relevant.

Which means one of the greatest challenges a marketer faces is to get noticed.

The right message, in the right place, at the right time...

... communicated in a way that makes people pay attention and, ultimately, take action.

A genuine insight. An undeniable truth. A dash of humour. A bit of fear.

Any of these can work independently to result in a message that breaks through.

But when an inspired team can manage to get ALL of them in a single communication?

That's when you end up with a highly effective spot like this one, brought to us by Smartphone Free Childhoods United States.

"No Smartphones for kids" may be an unpopular message in today's day and age, but I'd argue this ad communicates it (and the reasons behind it) perfectly.

Of course, I'm admittedly biased. In 2024, my wife and I decided our four children would not be allowed to have smartphones until after they graduated from elementary school.

(And even then, they would need to sign an agreement containing almost draconian terms that outline when and how their device may be used and the penalties for not adhering to the terms and conditions. My eldest daughter was our guinea pig, and so far, so good.)

Everything communicated in this ad makes me feel great about that decision.

And if this funny/scary communication makes you stop and think about your own beliefs as to when kids should be able to get their first cell phone (or, if that decision has already been made, the actions you might take to help protect your children's mental health and safety)...

... then the ad has done its job well.