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Kids + Beer

A non-alcoholic beer targeted at Japanese kids who want to drink along with their parents - the head is formulated to behave much like its alcoholic counterpart (though I doubt if jr-kun is also taught to throw up in the gutter after catching the last train back to the Tokyo 'burbs).

Thoughts for today: cultural attitudes towards providing child-friendly copycat products versus engaging a child with the real thing. The long term effect of engaging with a category of product (in an 'reduced' form such as 'fake' beer) at an early age? Or the reverse - of keeping a product out of kids hands. And in a world of conception-to-cradle-to-grave meta data, the ability to track the effectiveness of an early exposure to a particular product category or brand. Taking it full loop, the consequences of now-grown-up kids/parents/ authorities/trade associations/companies knowing the impact of early exposure. And of course how it affects what we design/choose not to design.

Digital equivalents of kids beer?

Writing from Tokyo | May 4, 2007 | Permalink