Advertising in Schools

This is something that's making me so very angry right now! I thought I'd share it with you and see what you all think of it.

A while ago, poster frames were put up around my school (in the loos and the common room etc). They stayed empty for a few weeks, but then posters started to pop up. Some of them are educational, encouraging kids to exercise and eat fruit and veg, but some of them are adverts for films and albums (there is a Lindsay Lohan one and a Mean Girls one...do they have a thing for her?).

I have a real problem with the fact that my school is taking funding from an advertising company and force-feeding young people with potentially harmful images, in spaces that could be far better used. I don't think that schools are the place for sexy posters advertising things that are completely irrelevant to education.

I've already had a bollocking for the mysterious disappearance of said Lindsay Lohan poster, but I intend to follow this one through to the end. The annoying thing is, although quite a few people feel the same way as me, the majority of the sixth form is completely apathetic about it and don't care about the ethical issues of it at all. As far as they're concerned, if it's not obviously hurting them they 'can't be arsed' to change anything, and most of the lads are deliriously happy at the sight of a scantily clad girl on the wall.

I just wanted to know what you scruffy lot think, to see if I'm on my own

 

It was the same in our school. Pupils didn't really care but I myself complained once but our headmistress said that our school would need the extra money. As time went by the children began to draw mustaches and devil's horns on sexy girls and colored the men's lips red and made gaps in their teeth. Since then there had not been any new posters...

 

Hopefully that will happen in my school! Lindsay has been scribbled on but I don't think anybody noticed before she went AWOL.

 

The only advertising that my college have is film posters in the media and film studies rooms...college advertising by students for their gigs and their political preference etc. and some posters in the Library of books or film adaptations of books. No provocative stuff really....but that sucks zeitgeist

 

They appeared in my school about six months or so ago... and I was extremely pissed off about it... still am...

I was hoping for some inspirational student to organise a campaign of organised vandalism... you know... lots of penises drawn all over them... never really happened...

But I continue to live in hope...

Fly...

 

What do you think my best plan of action is?

 

hey babes im in similar position as you regarding unethicalness in my work place - twats. unnamed shop selling unnamed product which i dont believe is up to saleable quality. so ive had my 3mnth probationary period for my job extended and the area manager informed for refusing to stock shelf with unnamed product. unfortunately still have to sell it as am cashier which makes me angry and feel crap. spent this evening writing letter to unnamed company who makes unnamed product to try and get written response saying that it mustve been a bad batch and should be removed from shelves as management currently ignoring me. trading standards will become involved if issue is still ignored. if everyone sat by and let the world pass them by as it pleased, it would be a worse place than it is now. those of us with bottle to stand up gotta stay strong and stick with it. my manager has asked me to put unnamed product out deliberately knowing i wouldnt and i stood my grounds with a very firm NO. tho she thrust it at me and i put it on shelf coz looked ok and told her if it had looked like rest i wouldnt have done it. she says shes not happy with me and ladidadida....wish theyd just sack me and i could go on the dole....only in this city for one more month, well two.....cant afford to just walk out of this job though....no matter how much i hate it....my only laugh in work today was finding out im getting to them and im still on probation hehe....

 

That's a crap situation to be in autumnjewels. Good for you though!

I found this, it made me giggle. And then I went back to being angry...grrrrr!

 

Keep up the direct action ... if you are challenged over it make clear this is legitimate protest not simply vandalism. Mr McFly, what's wrong with leading by example? It is your workplace after all...

 

I'm not sure how much power they would have to kick me out...I only have 5 weeks to go, so I could do with hanging about a bit longer! God I sound like such a scaredy cat...

 

why dont u suggest some paintings be put up instead ...like artists within your school or just artists copies in frames instead? Maybe? i dunno...or like ask them to restrict these to appropriate rooms...like media rooms if u hav them?
I hope this gets sorted out. Do not be afraid. show whoever you need to talk about how passionate you are about this and go in with a clear mind and comprimise .don't get angry tho...otherwise ppl wont listen .
Good luck! I admire you for this.

 

When i was in SECONDARY school (about 4 years ago) they started putting up ADDIDAS posters in the coridors... grrrarg ... that annoyed me. because although i didnt know much about the ethics behind the product at the time, the idea of such brands being forced upon me in my school pissed me off.

however it seemed most people ignored the posters and after a while they dissapeared.

 

JazzyMedia have been giving my school free stuff for at least the seven years I've been there, it started off with Vimto exercise books.

I'm going to write a letter and speak to the head directly. I have the backing of a few people but I'd like more people to actually have an opinion of their own. I'm not going to try to get people to stand with me - if they see me making my point it might give them the courage to do it with me, but I'm not going to beg. I can do this on my own if I have to!

The company that is giving the school money is payed by companies like Disney, Glaxo SmithKline and various others. They don't strike me as paticularly concerned about manipulating children into buying (or begging their parents) to buy the products, in fact that's the whole point of them. A-grrrrr...

 

hm yea we had artists come in to school and all different school classes worked with artists on murals and paintings which are round my old school. could suggest that?

 

They won't give the school money though, that's the only reason the posters are there.

I need to come up with an idea for alternative funding that has fewer ethical and moral implications!

 

I am not sure but i think in return for a spot of advertising companys pay for exersice books etc etc..It is catch 22 in a lot of ways.. its a funding problem. I would say if you have a problem with it.. you should ask for a equal amount of space for pupils ideas and thoughts. A notice board X how ever many advertising spaces there are..

I am sure the school states that it trys to balance things and a strict code of practice in place for disruptable inapriopriate posters. Ms Lohan is a talentless starlet but not realy offensive realy .



As for the ethics of 'brands' such as addidas, Nike etc being bad. Its a 1 side of the opinion...not all people think they are as horrid as others make out (me included).. Thats pushing YOUR views on others..Banning that kind of poster is unfair.. Fair is putting posters up that state your opinions on the matter (or say mine)..thats fair.

 

I think the fruit and vegtable posters are good because they tell you to eat healthy and get excercise but are they advertising for a specific fruit company? If it's for a company then I think that is wrong. As far a the movie posters go I don't like that idea. We have posters in my school but its ones teachers have baught themselves because it ahs to do wth their subject matter. We have yet to get paid advertising in my school but I wouldn't be susprised it if started happening in the next few years. They are already thining abut puttng ads on busses.

 

? thats not realy a bad thing..it may detract from the 'beauty' of the bus..but how beatiful are buses anyway ?.. i was almost shocked that this is not widespread almost a out dated thing to do..

 

I agree partly with what you said, Matthew. I can't force my judgement of certain posters on other people, but I think there is a pretty obvious divide between relevant and irrelevant posters for a school environment.

 

Thats true.. when it becomes clogged and obtrusive, you have to draw the line. It was not around in my day (god i feel old).. So i can't get as worked up about it.. but i can still understand that it divides people.

The next thing will be advertisements on school uniforms..nope i am not mocking the thread honestly..