From Jim Metrock:
Channel One’s new owner Alloy Media and Marketing is starting to bring advertising back to Channelone.com and their first product ad will shock parents and educators.
I expected Alloy to be "edgy" with their advertising but even I was surprised.
Channel One is now running an ad for Stok a high-caffeine beverage additive. The ads were first seen on Channelone.com’s home page on August 23. This is the most vistited page by teen and preteen visitors.
Channelone.com is not a site that has random ads pop up. Channel One specifically chooses ALL advertising that appears on their site. To do otherwise is to risk alienating educators and parents. There obviously are some web sites that allow Google or Yahoo to place random ads on their pages, but when you aim your site at young people you don’t let any ad appear that your company hasn’t previously approved.
Alloy/Channel One knows this product is age-inappropriate. Although the manufacturer states the product should not be used by those under 18, the makers of Stok apparently wouldn’t mind increased sales coming from children if they can get away with it. Alloy and Channel One both are so used to "pushing the envelope" with young people that they have little problem putting age-inappropriate products in front of kids. If there is a buck in it for Alloy and Channel One, then "kids beware."
Stok comes in a package like a diary creamer for coffee. It is simply 40 mg of extra caffeine to make coffee , or whatever, have a bigger buzz. Stok is about getting a "buzz." Stok is about getting "wired." Channel One executives probably laughed at the product’s tag line: Get Stok’d. If enough kids get "stok’d" Alloy/Channel One will earn more ad revenue.
Here are screen shots from the official web site for Channel One News:
Kids see the banner ad at the top of the Channelone.com homepage. What could the "stok wake-up service" be??
As young people look at Channel One’s homepage the banner ad begins to change text. Now they read the words, "Want to crank call your buddies at 4 a.m.?"
They are reminded by Channel One’s advertiser that "paybacks are a bitch." What part of this advertising campaign seemed appropriate to Channel One?
Get ‘stokd’??
When young people click on the ad they will ultimately read the small print.
Can Stok be used in soft drinks? or can it be consumed by itself?
