Scares on YouTube

YouTube can be fantastic for advertisers. Based on the profile data of the YouTube viewers you can decide which advertisements to present to them. A great way to target your audience. That was what McDonald’s thought, when it launched a creepy commercial on YouTube: ominous film music, an abandoned country house, a woman who got the fright of her life when confronted with the ghostly figure of a young girl. And then: time for a McBreak! Can you see it coming? McDonald’s and its advertising agency had clearly given the instructions: only show this horror commercial to YouTube users aged 13 or older. However, an 11-year-old still got to see the video. Result: she was scared to sleep with the lights off for days on end. And: a complaining mother at the Advertising Code Authority  (ACC). 

How was this possible? Targeting on YouTube is associated with a profile, but you do not have to log in with your own profile to watch videos. That means an 11-year-old can see scary commercials by watching them on her parents’ tablet. If she is not logged in at all, YouTube adapts the content to previous viewing habits, but no clear age limits apply.
Does this mean the commercial is in conflict with the Advertising Code due to violation of good taste and decency (terrifying children)? The RCC does indeed think this commercial is too scary and therefore unsuitable for young children. If children see the videos using the profile of an adult, there is not much that can be done to prevent it. However this is a different story for users without a profile. Therefore the ruling: if the advertiser shows the scary commercial to viewers without a profile, the commercial is in violation of good taste and decency.

That is pretty strict, because McDonald’s did try to reach the right target group. But as this ruling shows whom you deliberately target is not decisive. This implies major consequences for all YouTube videos for products where an age limit applies , such as foods (12 years), ‘healthy’ foods (7 years) and alcohol (18 years). It is important to take your actual audience into account!  It is a shame that no appeal was filed.

Bram Duivenvoorde & Ebba Hoogenraad