We all know about the hoopla surrounding social networks such as FaceBook and MySpace, and we increasingly hear about how people of 50 and up are joining in and partaking of these networks. But we don't here too much about those targeting the lower, much lower end of the age spectrum. Those aimed at pre-kindergarten children. The kid-centric virtual world of Webkinz.com was ad-free until last October, when members could click on a “Bee Movie” ad and win their pet some honey or a bee costume. In early December, clicking on ads for the movie “Alvin and the Chipmunks” earned outfits or a plate of virtual waffles for their character. These were the first third-party ads on the site, which members join by using an access code in the packaging of Webkinz toys. Currently, the site boasts 7.3 million unique users a month, mostly children, and the new ads got mixed reviews. Advocacy group "Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood," launched an e-mail campaign in December to urge Webkinz to cease selling outside ads on the site. “Parents thought the bargain was that they were buying the stuffed animals and in return getting a Web site without marketing aimed at their kids,” says a CFCC spokesman. Obviously, he didn't realize there's no such thing as a free lunch, even if you're only three years old!.
And if Mummy doesn't buy it for you... Put cyanide in her next martini!
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