VIDEO – To encourage children to put on sunscreen, a German company has made dolls that get sunburned.
It is not uncommon to see children struggling at the beach when their parents try to smear sunscreen on their faces. And for good reason: the ointments stick, the sand clings to them, and their interest is not really obvious for the youngest.
Commercial and sanitary operation
To educate children about the dangers of sun exposure, a German cosmetics company, Nivea, has therefore made dolls that get sunburned when they stay too long under the rays of the star. In order to remove the redness, a cream must be applied to the face and body of the toys, which then regain their original skin.
These dolls were distributed to children playing on beaches in Brazil. Named “Nivea Dolls”, they won the competition organized by the Brazilian advertising agency FCB Brazil. Of course, the approach of the German company is above all commercial and consists in promoting its sunscreens, as evidenced by the highly marketed packaging in which the dolls are supplied.
The dolls, vectors of messages
However, the message of prevention does seem to have been passed on to children. Which, in the end, is not surprising. In fact, toys are often used as vectors of prevention messages, or to shake up children’s social representations.
Thus, after the Barbie doll with the pink ribbon, created to raise awareness about breast cancer, Mattel launched last summer the “Barbie Chemotherapy”, with a bald head, to allow children with cancer to identify themselves. More recently, a British brand of toys launched a range of handicapped dolls, with accessories such as canes, hearing aids …
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