Join Us File an FCC Complaint Movie Reviews Store About Us Home
 
 
 
Parents Television Council - Because Our Children Are Watching

Advertiser Accountability Campaign

Find Out Which Companies are Sponsoring Objectionable Content and Which are Promoting Family-Friendly Programming


THE ISSUE

"The first step is to understand that TV is just a delivery system for ads. The only programming that really matters to those in power is the commercials (except on pay cable channels like HBO, where nothing matters except how many people subscribe). The success of a show is not measured by how good it is, or who says they loved it, or even how many people watch. A show is a success if the people who watched it go and buy the products that were advertised during the commercials. It is all about what is being sold and (just as important) who is doing the buying. That is why shows like 7th Heaven - which was the highest rated show on the WB network for years - was never considered as much of a success as Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Dawson's Creek, two lower-rated shows on the same network. The perception was that the audience for the latter two shows had more money to spend, so advertising rates were higher, and therefore the shows were more profitable. It might not seem fair, but viewers need to understand that the most-watched shows aren't always considered the most financially successful." - Dean Batali, lead writer for That '70s Show and former writer for Buffy the Vampire Slayer [Behind the Screen, a book about Christians in Hollywood]

 

 

 

We are continuing to hold corporate sponsors accountable for the content of the programs they support with their advertising dollars.  PTC representatives attended national corporate shareholder meetings for Target, Capital One, Circuit City, Yum! Brands, and Viacom (5 of the top 10 worst advertisers) to ask them to discontinue their sponsorship of some of the most offensive content on television.  We also attended the Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney and J.M. Smuckers Company shareholder meetings to applaud them for making responsible sponsorship decisions.


TAKE ACTION

 

Below is a list of advertisers who need to hear from you. The companies listed in the left hand column have been actively striving to maintain a family friendly advertising policy. The companies listed in the right hand column need a little bit of encouragement to incorporate better standards into their policy. Please click on the link to our most recent press release or correspondence regarding each company for more information. Then, please take a few moments to write to them about their sponsorship decisions. You can find contact information for these advertisers and talking points to help you write your letter here.

 

Top 10 Best and Worst Advertisers

 

The PTC’s list of the “Top Ten Best and Worst Advertisers” is based on each company’s prime time network television ad buys between October 2006 and May 2007. Each company listed purchased at least 25 ads on prime time broadcast programs.  Companies with the most ads on PTC-rated green lighted shows were ranked the best, and those with the most ads on PTC-rated red lighted shows were ranked the worst. more

 

Best

Worst

  1. Procter & Gamble
  2. Walt Disney Co.
  3. Ford Motor Company
  4. Unilever United States
  5. Viacom, Inc.
  6. McDonald's Corporation
  7. Johnson & Johnson
  8. Schering-Plough Corporation
    [Products include: Afrin, Claritin, Nasonex, Dr. Scholls, Lotrimin]
  9. Coca-Cola Company
  10. General Mills, Inc.
  1. Toyota Motor Sales Inc.
  2. General Motors Corp.
  3. Limited Brands, Inc.
  4. Payless Shoe Source
  5. Vonage Marketing, Inc.
  6. Volkswagen of America
  7. Dunkin Brands
  8. Reckitt Benckiser PLC
    [Products include: Clearasil, Lysol, Spray and Wash, Air Wick, Woolite, Jet Dry, Glass Plus, Electrasol, Easy Off]
  9. GEICO, Inc.
  10. Bayer Corp.

 

 

ADVERTISER ACCOUNTABILITY

Hall of Fame and Shame

 

FAME

SHAME

Automotive:


Ford Motor Company

Toyota

Mitsubishi Motors

Nissan

Mazda Dealer

Volkswagen of America

Volvo

KIA

 

Quick Service Restaurants:


 

Burger King

Wendy’s

Carl's Jr.

Dairy Queen

Hardees

 

Casual Dining:


Olive Garden

Chili's

Red Lobster

Applebee's

 

Insurance:


State Farm

 

 

Retailers:


Sears

Victoria Secret

JCPenney

Payless Shoe Source

 

Household and Health Products:


Procter & Gamble

Pfizer

Unilever United States

Eli Lilly

 

 


LATEST HIGHLIGHTS

Burger King and Nickelodeon Join Forces in Smutty Ad

In the past, Burger King has frequently used "edgy" imagery in its TV commercials. But now, the fast-food chain has partnered with Nickelodeon to use the beloved children's cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants in a degrading ad drenched in smut and sexual innuendo.   more


 

PTC: Disney TV Programming Should Align with the Company’s Family Image

At the Walt Disney Company annual shareholders meeting, the Parents Television Council praised the company for its tradition of providing wholesome family entertainment, but cautioned Disney about risqué advertisements, marketing its stars on adult-oriented programming, and the direction of ABC Family Channel.  more


 

PTC Urges Jack in the Box to Clean Up TV Sponsorships

Jack in the Box has pulled a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ on families: it wants families to eat at its restaurants, but yet it sponsors some of the most graphic and anti-family friendly programming on television today.  Millions of parents are counting on Jack in the Box and other TV sponsors to realize that they play a fundamental role in keeping the most shocking, graphic and gratuitous material on the air; and that these types of shows contribute to a negative media culture for our children.  Jack in the Box can change, and we urge them to do so. more

 


Over 90,000 PTC Members in Texas Call for Action on AshleyMadison.com Ad

Over 90,000 members and three Texas grassroots chapters of the Parents Television Council denounced the Houston NBC affiliate, KPRC-TV, for airing an ad during the Super Bowl for AshleyMadison.com, a dating service for married people looking to cheat on their spouses. more

 


Nip/Tuck Serves Up Sickening Self-Mutilation
PTC Notifies Advertisers, Renews Call for Cable Choice

 

The Parents Television Council issued an urgent call for cable choice and put advertisers on notice after a graphic self-mutilation scene appeared on the FX Network program Nip/Tuck. The show, which depicted a woman using an electric carving knife to cut off her own breast, aired at 10:00 pm EST (9:00 pm CST/MST) on January 27, 2009. more


TAKE ACTION NOW! Send Your Warning to the Sponsors of Nip/Tuck.


 

Quiznos is the PTC's Worst Advertiser of the Month

Quiznos has been identified as the PTC’s Worst Advertiser of the Month because of their continued sponsorship of such programs as Nip/Tuck, Dirt, Dexter, Family Guy, Two and a Half Men, American Dad, and Swingtown. 

The Quiznos Master LLC

Gregory Brenneman, CEO

1475 Lawrence St. Ste. 400
Denver, CO 80202 

Phone: 720-359-3300
Toll Free: 866-486-2783
Fax: 720-359-3399

www.quiznos.com


Limited Brands Silences Shareholder Speech

Company Sequesters PTC Representative in a Room and Denies Permission to Speak

 

At the Limited Brands shareholders meeting, a Parents Television Council representative was sequestered from the other shareholders in a separate room and was not permitted to speak during the meeting. Other shareholders in the general, public meeting room were permitted to ask questions. The PTC intended to request that Victoria’s Secret ads be limited to airing during certain hours on television when they will not be as easily seen by millions of children. Parents regularly contact the PTC to express their concerns over racy and revealing Victoria’s Secret ads that have been airing during primetime broadcast hours. The PTC is now investigating its options given this blatant – and what appears to be intentional – disregard for shareholder rights. more

 

To read excerpts from the intended statement click here.


PTC: TV Shows Applebee’s Advertises on Do Not Reflect IHOP’s Family-Friendly Image

 

At the IHOP shareholders meeting in Glendale today, the Parents Television Council called on the corporation to decide whether the television shows its Applebee’s brand advertisements appear on are in step with IHOP’s hard-earned family image. more

 

To read excerpts from our statement click here.


PTC Asks Berkshire Hathaway Not to Underwrite Graphic TV Content

 

At the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting in Omaha on Saturday, May 3, the company was pressed on whether its television advertising dollars reflect its corporate values.  Father Val Peter, executive director emeritus of Boys Town, spoke on behalf of the Parents Television Council urging Berkshire Hathaway to reconsider placing GEICO brand advertisements on shows like “Dirt” and “The Sopranos.” more

 

To read excerpts from Father Val Peter's statement click here.


PTC Asks Pfizer to Reconsider Placing Adult Ads During Family-Oriented TV Shows

Parents Caught Off Guard by Inappropriate Blue Pill Ads

 

At today’s Pfizer Shareholder meeting, the Parents Television Council asked the company to reconsider placing its adult product advertisements during family-oriented television shows. PTC Director of Corporate Relations Glen Erickson spoke during the meeting. more

 

To read excerpts from Mr. Erickson's statement click here.



 

FIND OUT WHO SPONSORS THE BEST AND WORST TV SHOWS:

LOOK UP A TV SHOW RATING                    

Click here to search our database by advertiser.

 

Worst Advertiser of the Month

Quiznos

 

List of Family-Friendly Shows

List of Family-Unfriendly Shows


PRESS RELEASES

SPECIAL REPORTS AND ADVERTISER UPDATES  


 

 

FAST FACTS

The 50+ crowd is the fastest growing market segment in the U.S., with projected growth from 76.1 million adults in 2000 to 97.1 million by 2010 -- an increase of 27 percent (U.S. Census, Populations Projections Program, 2000)And based on a study conducted by AARP and RoperASW in 2002-'03, the 50+ market's loyalty for brands in various categories is often on par with the 18-49 market, which means that they're just as fickle when it comes to brand loyalty as the young demographic, but with substantially more income. In fact last year alone, they spent nearly $400 billion on things like travel, apparel and beauty products. And with 10,000 people turning 50 every day, their spending spree is just starting." - Over 50% of the PTC's 1.1 million members are 50 +.

 

© 1998-2009 Parents Television Council. All rights Reserved.

Parents Television Council, www.parentstv.org, PTC, Clean Up TV Now, Because our children are watching, The nation's most influential advocacy organization, Protecting children against sex, violence and profanity in entertainment, Parents Television Council Seal of Approval, and Family Guide to Prime Time Television are trademarks of the Parents Television Council.