Leslie Schaffer
Nickelodeon: A Place for Kids, A Haven for Branding
Nickelodeon first hit airwaves in 1979. Since then, it has become a be-
hemoth corporation, spanning just about all media of communication.
This research project studies toy commercials shown during the net-
work’s after-school time slot for two consecutive weeks on November
of 2007. Branching off of Dr. Susan Kahlenberg’s 2005 research on
Nickelodeon, my research focuses on the visual and auditory aspects of
branding through repetition and “genderfication.” Nickelodeon was the
network of choice because, as one Nickelodeon ad exec once claimed,
the network “owns kids aged 2-12.” Nickelodeon, which is owned by
Viacom, filled much of its ad space with commercials from the two
major toy monopolies—Mattel and Hasbro. This ongoing research seeks
not only to point out trends in branding, but also to consider the
ramifications that such advertising has on youth.
