Like other sectors, we use advertising to share information about our products. What makes us different, is that our products, and our ads, are made with children and their families in mind. When it comes to designing toys, safety is our priority. When it comes to advertising them, it is communicating responsibly. Children are vulnerable consumers and we take this into account when we engage with them.
For our members, communicating responsibly means making sure our advertising is legal, decent, honest and truthful, in accordance with the standards in place across Europe. Because our toys are made for children, we go further, and make sure that the advertising we make is appropriate for children and respects their understanding of the world.
Our five principles for responsible marketing communications to children & their families
Marketing to children should always:
- Comply with the relevant European and national legal and self-regulatory frameworks
- Be honest and truthful
- Promote safe play
- Be socially responsible
- Respect children’s privacy
We first set out principles for advertising to children and their families back in 1994. We have updated them in the meantime to keep pace with the significant changes in advertising. They are in line with the five key principles of fair advertising to children developed by the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network in 2022.