LOS ANGELES (November 23, 2011) – To start off the holiday shopping season, the Parents Television Council® released its annual list of the “Top Ten Best and Worst Advertisers” for the 2010-2011 television season. The PTC is encouraging consumers to vote with their wallets and support companies that underwrite family-friendly television programming. 

“This week marks the official start of the holiday shopping season and businesses will quickly find out whether consumers support their brands. Our list of the best and worst TV advertisers is designed to help guide shoppers who support family-friendly advertisers, knowing the impact those companies have on today’s TV programming,” said PTC president Tim Winter.  

“If you’re considering where to shop, Sears and Walmart landed on our best list; but Target secured a spot on the ‘worst’ list.  If you’re hungry and want to stop for a bite to eat during the holiday rush, Wendy’s exhibits more corporate responsibility than McDonald’s. 

“When reaching for a credit card or giving a gift card as a present, we found Visa supported far more family-friendly programming than American Express. If your holiday spree includes shopping for new wheels, Ford has consistently landed on our best list, while General Motors and Toyota are anything but family-friendly.

“We are happy to announce the top five advertisers on the 2010 worst list do not appear on this year’s worst advertisers list. We are thankful for the companies that heeded our call to implement more responsible advertising practices.

“During a time of great economic challenge, businesses need every dollar, and indeed they need every customer.  According to a Harris Poll, one in four Americans says they did not purchase a certain brand because they did not like a program or event sponsored by the brand.  Such market data should encourage more corporations to be mindful of the television content with which they associate their hard-earned brand images.

“This holiday season, the PTC urges every parent, every grandparent, and every concerned citizen to show support for those companies whose corporate values are in line with their own.  Because our children are watching,” Winter concluded.

Top Ten Best and Worst Advertisers
The PTC’s list of the “Top Ten Best and Worst Advertisers” is based on each company’s prime time broadcast television ad buys during the 2010-2011 television season. Data was pulled from September 1, 2010 through May 31, 2011 and approximately 60,000 individual records were reviewed as the list was formulated. Using PTC’s trademarked traffic light ratings system, each company was assigned a point value based on the number of green, yellow and red light shows it sponsored. Special weight was assigned to advertisers that demonstrated a corporate commitment to sponsor family-friendly programming. To see each prime time show’s rating, please visit http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/familyguide/main.asp.

Best:

1. Ford

2. Sears
3. Procter & Gamble (Pampers, Tide, Crest, Downy, Febreze)

4. CVS Pharmacy

5. Visa

6. Enterprise Rent-A-Car

7. General Mills (Betty Crocker, Cheerios, Pillsbury, Old El Paso) and Kellogg (Rice Krispies, Cheez-It, Keebler, Nutri-Grain) (tied)

8. SC Johnson (Pledge, Windex, Shout, Glade, Off!)

9. Walmart
10. Clorox, Coca-Cola and Wendy's (tied)

Worst:

1. American Express

2. General Motors

3. Target

4. Toyota

5. Victoria's Secret

6. L’Oreal (L’Oreal, Maybelline, Redken, Lancome)

7. McDonald's

8. AT&T

9. Sprint and Verizon (tied)

10. Burlington Industries

To compare this ranking to 2010, click here.