Corporations target your children thru play.

Hello to all,a little dismayed at a gift my son got recently,i shall get to that very shortly.

We are anti corporation,especially food corps mainly the fast food giants,but still to make scones our flour is purchased from a major corp,sometimes you cant escape them.
Our remote rural location makes it a bit easier to avoid the large fast food giants,its a long drive to the golden arch's.
We have all seen the in your face ad's from these company's targeting your children with toys and gimmicks to sell fat loaded food,at least its in your face.

But what about when it becomes sneaky?lets discuss.

My son recently got a uberstix scavenger series set,it comes with some bits and pieces to make models that work and the idea is to recycle things from around the home to complete the model.
I thought what a brilliant idea,a fantastic toy teaching kids recycling,building etc etc.
Right up our ally,an alternative learning toy/model,we are thinking top stuff should be more toys like this.

Few days later me and the young fella decided to have a look and start building the model,we were met by an instant roadblock upon reading the instructions, we couldnt even start it.

You see some things from around the home are needed,but some main components needed are from the major food giants.

It may be as simple as a drinking straw,for us to obtain this straw,we have the choice of three options.
Go thru rubbish to find one.
Drive an hour to obtain one from the store.
Maybe another straw may do the trick,but its hard to find the fatter type required.

It is only a straw something else will suffice,but i now want to read you word for word the list of bits you need,i found a link with it on that i will provide so i dont have to scan the list.

Uberstix scavenger recycling series
Landshark list
6-Push-ups (R) Icecream pops
2 Plastic coffee stir sticks
1 plastic grocery bag
1 Large Starbucks (R) straw
1 Mc Donald's (R) straw
10 Paper clips
Scotch (R) tape
2 Popsicle (R) sticks

So the companys involved here in order as they appear above
Nestle Group
Starbucks us brands llc
Mc Donald's corporation
3M
Popsical industries.

Now i ask why.Why have these kits been designed to fit these particular items.
Iam sure i can find other bits to suit eventually,but the way these kits are set out its like they are promoting these corporations.

Uberstix is owned by Dane Scarborough,formally Dane Rage a drummer turned inventor.A very very smart man,a family man,but a globalist BIG TIME.

Altho i have not found direct links with these companys and Scarborough,he is very well placed among the corporate elite,a very impressive corporate background.I have no doubt a little deal has been done over lunch time drinks.

Why call for a Popsicle (R) stick,when just a normal wooden ice cream- icy pole stick will do?
Why call for Scotch tape (R) when any sticky tape will do?


Step,No 1 on the instruction sheet is a picture of a push pop ice cream,not the part you need from the finished ice cream,the whole ice cream, as soon as my three children saw it, "I want one of those Daddy".

Smells a bit on the fishy side to me,research has not given me much,what do you guys think??

Wiki link,Dane Rage
en.wikipedia.org...

Link to the toy iam talking about with a review.In the top left hand corner is the list i speak of,click on it to enlarge it but will place its link separate underneath.

www.escapadedirect.com...

www.escapadedirect.com...://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-57190479284260_2113_17282965

Link to an article on Scarborough,he dont mind sending your jobs to china,all good for profits.
www.mtexpress.com...

Uberstix website,
www.uberstix.com...

This reminds me of certain recipes. Ya know, the ones that call for certain branded items, like a can of HUNT tomato sauce, or 1 cup of IMPERIAL sugar or 24 OREO cookies...

I just substitute for a store brand or whatever I have on hand. It usually works out just fine.
I always just assumed the companies had some deal worked out with each other, in the cases when the products were unrelated by company or brand.

I hope your lil' ones can enjoy the projects with substitutes. You could always call or email the company to let them know your discontent.

This really shouldn't be new to you. I'm forty-nine, middle-American, and I've seen tie ins to products for kids my entire life. From Ovaltine translater rings of "Little Orphan Annie", to Jethro Bodine eating Sugar Frosted Flakes. Even Mom's were hit upon....the are called "soap operas" because they were funded by soap companies.
Perhaps you are not the average consumer. I would be hard pressed to find most of the things on the list myself. I don't like Push-ups or Starbucks. I use my own bags now, but have a few store bags to reuse and recycle. I do use Scotch brand tape, but that is because it is the best.
Which brings to mind another factor in the list. I call all celophane tapes Scotch tape, and all frozen fruit pops are Popscicles. I blow my nose with a kleenex, even though I only use Puffs brand. When I cut myself in the kitchen, I run for a band-aid, but only use 3M brand. I don't think the list is so much brand oriented as it is giving the most common name for some of the articles. Because I bet you blow your nose with a kleenex and use band-aids for boo-boos, too.

reply to post by toolstarr


Gday,yes iam sure we will find substitutes.Its more the image of promotion of these companys by Uberstix.
When you have the kit in front of you its a lot more obvious.
This type of thing happens often yes i know,but this kit comes across as a environmentally friendly - green - alternative toy to promote learning,not a toy to promote corporations specially McDonalds who run a non stop campaign to target your children.

I'm sure it has something to do with there being a deal worked out between companies (ad revenue and such).

However, it could also be done in an effort to ensure that the designs fit together properly by enforcing a bit of "quality control". The Starbucks straw might be the right size for things to work out correctly, but a Panera one might not; not to mention some local mom and pop store. Also, since McDonald's and Starbucks are almost literally everywhere, there is an added degree of availability to factor in.

Could you imagine if the instructions said, "Get a straw from Tofu Johnny's on main street in Waco, Texas" or the way the final product would look if it told you to use any random straw?

(I have no idea if that's a real restaurant)

That's what they do- they do little product placements from their sponsors, I recall a baking book where 'Splenda' (a nasty artificial sweetener) was on top of the recipe.

Oh really? What's wrong with sugar... Right?

Corporations are devious that way.

I am not shocked but I share in your disgust and way of living, to an extent.I love taking those online surveys just so I can tell a name brand company how much I despise their products.

Thank you all for your input.
It is sad to see that in the last 25 years the corporations have slowly strengthened their grip on the world,and now more than ever run it and rule it.
My hate for corporations,banks and governments comes from my father who was a Freemason,he used to speak of globalism a lot with me,even tho i was young.We are now living what he would talk about.
An alternative lifestyle doesnt mean you have to go without, you do it differently. I can do a burger and chips that is actually good for you,you do it different.
Bring Back the horse and cart! lol.

Originally posted by Mayson
I'm sure it has something to do with there being a deal worked out between companies (ad revenue and such).

However, it could also be done in an effort to ensure that the designs fit together properly by enforcing a bit of "quality control". The Starbucks straw might be the right size for things to work out correctly, but a Panera one might not; not to mention some local mom and pop store. Also, since McDonald's and Starbucks are almost literally everywhere, there is an added degree of availability to factor in.

Could you imagine if the instructions said, "Get a straw from Tofu Johnny's on main street in Waco, Texas" or the way the final product would look if it told you to use any random straw?



(I have no idea if that's a real restaurant)

Theres a tofu Johnny's in Waco?

I am outa here, **runs to door and grabs keys**

Wow. That reads like a corporate scavenger list! I'm having a bit of fun here as I've been talking with my 9 yo about advertisement, marketing and how corporations sell to you. Think I'll show her your post as well as a prime example.

Originally posted by Mountainmeg
Wow. That reads like a corporate scavenger list! I'm having a bit of fun here as I've been talking with my 9 yo about advertisement, marketing and how corporations sell to you. Think I'll show her your post as well as a prime example.

I think educating the young is the best way to combat it.My 10yo is slowly getting the grasp of it.The children are targeted so heavily it is impossible for them to escape it.
A documentary was put out about 7-8 years ago called THE CORPORATION it was shown on SBS over a few of weeks it is available for sale on dvd.It went deep inside corporations to see how they run and operate,most of it will make you shake your head in disgust,but the part about how they target your children will make you sick,its truly disgusting.Well worth a look.
All the best with your 9yo,kids are a lot smarter than we give em credit for sometimes,she may just surprise you! Cheers.