Advertising Education Forum

AEF was set up by the World Federation of Advertisers and the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA). EACA
EACA Ethical Guidelines 2002. Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 1 August 2006 on 16 January 2016. The AEF claims that it is "academically neutral" on its own website. It is in fact a front group for the Advertising and Food industries, which, unsurprisingly, fund it. The World Federation of Advertisers describes itself as an organisation that "champions and defends marketers’ interests on key issues at both a global and EU level". WFA Advocacy Issues, accessed January 3 2009. This aim is pursued in relation to children and advertising by the following method: "WFA leads a global coalition of the advertising industry to identify, promote and replicate good practice and champion socially responsible initiatives, which go beyond compliance with industry standards." The AEF is listed as one project which helps to accomplish that aim.WFA Advocacy Issues, accessed January 3 2009.
On its own website the AEF makes no mention of the leading role of the WFA. Instead it claims:
:The Advertising Education Forum (AEF) is a non-profit, academically neutral organisation that offers a comprehensive database of information on advertising and children and related issues. AEF provides open and free access to academic and scientific research on advertising and children and serves as a centre for information on the issue. AEF also provides information on advertising regulation in Europe.Advertising Education Forum homepage, accessed 1 August 2007.
 
The AEF in fact operates to undermine independent research on the effects of advertising on children and works in consort with other food and ad industry lobby groups. For example the Food Advertising Unit another front group run by the industry is a member and Mediasmart, another food/ad industry front group was also run from the offices of the Global Consulting Group the former PR agency of the AEF, and both are now clients of APCO Worldwide. 
As with many other front groups the AEF has established an 'academic' panel to attempt to give itself legitimacy:
:The AEF Academic Network is a global network of experts on the areas of children and advertising, industry self-regulation and childhood obesity. It was established in 2004 to support AEF objective of facilitating an informed debate on the issue of advertising to children. It represents the first structured organisation of its type, on these subjects, in the world. The AAN is a development of the AEF Academic Advisory Board (AAB) that was established in April 2000, and consisted of four members representing different areas of academic and scientific expertise in Europe.Advertising Education Forum AEF Academic Network (AAN), accessed 1 August 2007.
== AAB Analysis ==
The AAB is said by the AEF to have published three analyses of studies relating to advertising and children.
*AAB Opinion on Gunilla Jarlbro's report on Children and Television Advertising: the players, the arguments and the research, 1994-2000.
*AAB Opinion on the Sustain study TV Dinners: What's being served up by the advertisers?
*AAB Opinion on the AEF study of Parental Perceptions of the Influences in Their Children's Lives.Advertising Education Forum AEF Academic Network (AAN), accessed 1 August 2007.
The first study conducted in 2000 was about the influence of advertising on children, surveying 5,000 parents in 15 EU countries. The study highlighted the issue of who finances research influencing research results. The study concluded that children under the age of 12 were unlikely to be able to discern the underlying motives and aims of advertising. 
Children and Television Advertising: the players, the arguments and the research, 1994-2000, accessed February 23 2009.
The AAB analysis of this study focused on the issue of who had financed the study and stated that the " study’s aim is, therefore, explicitly polemical, and must be seen as a defence of the Swedish ban on television advertising directed to children (up to
twelve years)". AEF
AAB Opinion, accessed February 23 2009. 
==Advertising and children==
There are serious concerns amongst some investigators about the ethics of directing advertising at children. As Sharon Beder reminds us in her book, This Little Kiddy Went to Market: The Corporate Capture of Childhood, children are used to accepting information at face value, and cannot readily distinguish between information provided to inform and information provided to persuade. Until they reach a certain age they cannot critically evaluate the claims made by advertisers, nor understand the purpose. Some investigators consider that up to the age of 5 children are unable to distinguish between reality and what is presented to them on television. Hence television advertising is received uncritically and without reservation.
Studies commissioned by the US Surgeon General have demonstrated the failure of children under eight to understand persuasive intent. Even if they can differentiate advertisements from television programmes, (and sometimes the boundaries are blurred so that even adults don't recognise some content as advertising), about half of them still don't understand that the advertisements are trying to sell them something.
Multinational corporations have understood the value of advertising and marketing to children for a long time. Corporations began targeting their marketing messages directly to children during the 1980s, as affluent adult markets became saturated with consumer goods. Large firms established 'kids' departments and smaller firms specialised in marketing to children. A number of advertising industry publications were created such as Selling to Kids and Marketing to Kids Report. The academic literature began to feature studies of children as consumers. 
In the US the amount corporations spent marketing to children under twelve increased by five times between 1980 and 1990 and ten times more during the 1990s. In 2004 around $15 billion was being spent marketing to children. Conferences on the best ways to market to children are held all over the world. There are also awards for the best advertisements and marketing campaigns with hundreds of entries.
Much marketing to children now consists of sales promotions such as direct coupons, free gifts and samples, contests and sweepstakes, and public relations exercises such as using celebrities and licensed characters to visit shopping centres and schools. These additional forms of marketing have supplemented rather than replaced advertising as the importance of the children's market has grown. Their aim however is the same as advertising. 
The international children's market is increasingly attractive to transnational corporations who seek to make their brands and products popular in different cultural milieus. The food industry was a pioneer in these efforts. In 1997 Brandweek magazine noted that McDonald's was the favourite fast food all over the world and Coca-Cola the favourite drink. This Little Kiddy Went to Market: The Corporate Capture of Childhood, Sharon Beder, Pluto Press, London, 2009. accessed 8 march 2010.
== AEF and Obesity==
A report published by AEF in 2003 concluded "After a careful and thorough examination of the published literature on the role ofadvertising in obesity, we can conclude that there is no evidence for a direct causal
relationship between food advertising and obesity levels. Some research has been
conducted demonstrating that extended exposure to television may increase the chances
of obesity. There is, however, no research that demonstrates a link between exposure to
advertising for certain types of foods, and an increase in consumption of those foods
amongst adults and children." www.eaca.be/_upload/documents/research/obesity.pdf
These conclusions are different to those expressed within the "review of the evidence report" prepared for the World Health Organisation in 2006. Amongst other conclusions they stated 
"The review confirms that the marketing of food to children is part of
the obesity problem; however it is not the whole problem." WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data The extent, nature and effects of food promotion to children [electronic resource] : a review of the evidence : technical paper /prepared for the World Health Organization ; Gerard Hastings ... [et al.].accessed 23 February 2010
==Members==
As disclosed on the AEF website.
===2004===
Association of Advertisers in Ireland | British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) | Coca-Cola Europe | European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) | Ferrero Group | Food Advertising Unit (FAU) | Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) | Hasbro Europe | Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) | J Walter Thompson Europe | Kraft Foods | McCann Erickson | Masterfoods | Mattel Europe | McDonald's Europe | Nestlé | Ogilvy & Mather | Toy Industries of Europe (TIE) | Turner Broadcasting | World Federation of Advertisers (WFA)AEF What is AEF. Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 16 August 2004 on 21 January 2016.
===2008===
Association of Advertisers in Ireland | Coca-Cola Europe | European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) | Ferrero Group | Food Advertising Unit (FAU) | Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) | Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) | Kraft Foods | Masterfoods | Mattel Europe | McDonald's Europe | Nestlé | Ogilvy & Mather | World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) AEF What is AEF. Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 22 September 2008.
===2015===
World Federation of Advertisers | TIE | ISBA | Coca Cola Europe | Advertising Association | Ferrero | Ogilvy | McDonalds Europe | AAI | NestleAEF About Us. Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 20 August 2015.
==PR/Lobbying Firms==
*Landmark
===Former lobbying firms===
*Ergo Communications/Global Consulting Group; APCO Worldwide Register Entry for 1 September 2008 to 30 November 2008 APPC, accessed 28 January 2015 
==Staff==
*Brian Ellis
*Francesca Fanucci
*Charlotte Hughes, joined late 2005
*Mariella Palazollo, left july 2005
*Tessa Pettman, left July 2005
==Website and contact==
*Langham House, 
1b Portland Place
London W1B 1PN
United Kingdom
*http://www.aeforum.org/
== Structure ==
The AEF is a private company limited by guarantee.
Company number 03807549
It was incorporated on 15/07/1999. Companies House
Advertising Education Forum Limited,accessed January 12 2009.
==AEF Academic Network==
*David Ashton	Imperial College School of Medicine	UK
*Stefan Aufenanger^	University of Hamburg	Germany
*Emma Banister	University of Lancaster	UK
*Ingo Barlovic	German Institute for Research on Children and Advertising	Germany 
*Sukhbinder Barn	Middlesex University	UK
*Erling Bjurström^	Linkoping University	Sweden
*Göran Bolin	University College Huddinge	Sweden
*Anita Borch	SIFO National Institute for Consumer Research	Norway
*Dina Borzekowski	John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health	USA
*Joël Brée^	University of Caen	France 
*Valeria Bruno	Freelance researcher	Italy
*David Buckingham	Institute of Education, University of London	UK
*Sandy Bulmer	Massey University	New Zealand
*Margherita Caroli	Department of Prevention and Public Health, Brindisi	Italy
*Kara Chan	Hong Kong Baptist University	Hong Kong
*Daniel Chandler	University of Wales	UK
*Monique Dagnaud	Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales	France
*Maria D'Alessio	University of Rome 'La Sapienza'	Italy
*Teresa Davis	University of Sydney	Australia
*Regina De Assis	MULTIRIO Empressa Municipal de Multimeios	Brazil
*Els De Bens	University of Ghent	Netherlands
*Kevin Durkin	University of Strathclyde, Scotland	UK
*Lynne Eagle	Middlesex University	UK
*Laurel Edmunds	University of Oxford	UK
*Alexander Fedorov	Russian Association for Film and Media Education	Russia
*Marie-Louise Fry	University of Newcastle, New South Wales	Australia
*Adrian Furnham	University College London	UK
*Ingrid Geretschlaeger	Media Education Consultancy, Academy of Lower Austria	Austria
*Elisabeth Götze	Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration	Austria
*Jeffrey Goldstein	University of Utrecht	Netherlands
*Merris Griffiths	University of Wales	UK
*Jason Halford	University of Liverpool	UK
*Elizabeth Handsley	Flinders University	Australia
*Debra Harker	University of the Sunshine Coast	Australia
*Jacinta Hawkins	Massey University	New Zealand
*Andrew Hill	University of Leeds	UK
*Renee Hobbs	Temple University	USA
*Elena Hradiska	Komensky University	Slovakia
*Stephen Kline	Simon Fraser University	Canada
*Dale Kunkel	University of Arizona	USA
*Dafna Lemish	University of Tel Aviv	Israel
*Sonia Livingstone	London School of Economics	UK
*Elisa Manna	CENSIS - National Centre for Social Studies	Italy
*Dominika Maison	University of Warsaw	Poland
*Richard Mizerski	University of Western Australia	Australia
*Mario Morcellini	Università di Roma 'La Sapienza'	Italy
*Roxana Morduchowicz	Buenos Aires University	Argentina
*Avril Nash	University of Hertfordshire	UK
*Hanne Niss	Copenhagen Business School	Denmark
*Ernest North	University of Pretoria	South Africa
*Anna Olejniczuk-Merta	Kozminski Academy of Entrepreneurship and Management	Poland
*Özlen Özgen	Ankara University	Turkey
*Alberto Pellai	Università degli Studi di Milano	Italy
*Maria Piacentini	Lancaster University	UK
*Karen Pine	University of Hertfordshire	UK
*Francesco Pira	University of Trieste	Italy
*Chris Pole	University of Leicester	UK
*Barry Popkin	University of North Carolina	USA
*Christine Roland-Levy	University of Paris 5	France
*Margareta Rönnberg	University of Gävle	Sweden
*Naya Roussou	Intercollege, Nicosia	Cyprus
*Lisa Sutherland	University of North Carolina	USA
*Julie Tinson	University of the West of England	UK
*Sarah Todd	University of Otago	New Zealand
*Birgitte Tufte	Copenhagen Business School	Denmark
*Liisa Uusitalo	Helsinki School of Economics	Finland
*Dirk Voorhoof	University of Ghent	Belgium
*Marie Watiez	Sésame Consultants	Canada
*Brian Young^	Exeter University	UK
*Ruth Zanker	Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology	New Zealand
^ indicates the original four AAB membersAdvertising Education Forum AEF Academic Network (AAN), accessed 1 August 2007.
=== Academic Network newsletter ===
The AEF website list the Academic Network Newsletters. The latest edition listed is from October 2005 and is the third of three. Advertising Education Forum
Newsletter,No. 3. Retrieved from the Internet Archive 11 February 2006. Accessed 22 March 2016. 
==Notes==
Category:Foodspin Front Groups