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Best and worst TV advertisers

Story by AFA Journal Staff. Sources cited for News of Interest indicate source of basic information only. February 2009

The Parents Television Council released its annual ranking of the Top Ten Best and Worst Advertisers. The report ranks television advertisers from best to worst according to content in the primetime broadcast television programs they chose to underwrite. Advertisers that landed on the best list primarily sponsored family-friendly television shows, while those on the worst list often supported programs containing graphic sexual content, excessive violence and/or profanity.
“The role that television advertisers play in determining what type of content comes into every home in America cannot be overstated,” said PTC President Tim Winter. “We commend the advertisers on our best list that have chosen to associate their hard-earned corporate brands with positive programming that the entire family can watch together. Coca-Cola soared to the top of our best list after ranking ninth last year and Hewlett-Packard also began carefully evaluating the programming it underwrites to secure a place on our best list for the first time.”
Winter said two carmakers topped the worst list. “Our top offenders include General Motors, which advertised on one of the most shocking episodes of Fox’s Family Guy, and Nissan, which helped pay for the bloodiest episode in the Dexter series to air on broadcast television. In the 2007-2008 TV season alone, these two advertisers showed up nearly 1,000 times on ‘red light’ shows that are unsuitable for children according to PTC’s traffic light ratings system.”
Also on the worst list were two discount retailers, Kohl’s and Target. “Wal-Mart barely missed the cut-off for our best list and is to be lauded for its commitment to families,” said Winter. “It is up to consumers to show companies that supporting family-friendly programming makes good business sense.”
www.parentstv.org, 11/24/08

BEST
1. Coca-Cola
2. The Clorox Company
3. Century 21 Real Estate LLC
4. H&R Block Inc.
5. Ferrero SpA (U.S.A.) Ferrero Rocher chocolates and Nutella spread)
6. CVS Caremark Corporation
7. Whirlpool Corporation
8. The Hershey Company
9. State Farm Mutual  Automobile Insurance Co.
10. Hewlett-Packard Company

WORST
1. General Motors Corporation
2. Nissan North America Inc.
3. L’Oreal USA Inc.
4. Pepsi-Cola North America
5. GlaxoSmithKline Holdings (Americas) Inc. (products include Aquafresh, Beano, Contac, Geritol, Nicoderm, Poligrip, Zantac)
6. Reckitt Benckiser, Inc. (brands include Clearasil, Calgon, Woolite, Electrasol, Frenches)
7. Target Corporation
8. Kohl’s Corporation
9. Verizon Communications Inc.
10. Toyota Motor North AmericaDocumentary addresses anti-Christian media