Sugary Cereals Need Not Apply

Sugary cereals need not apply.

The sides of school buses in the Jordan School District are now for hire. The first advertisements were unveiled this week, with four buses having ads.

If all the buses in the district attract advertisements, the district stands to make a quarter of a million dollars per year. So, add me to those who think the advertising a good idea -- if those who advertise are watched by school administrators, and the administrators are saying they will need to approve each advertisement.

So, from the day when advertisements were limited to yearbooks and sports stadiums, we now have this. I've heard say one Utah school took some heat for advertising sugary cereal in the lunchroom. Suppose I can see why. The fear is that students will view the advertisements as being endorsed by the school.

Hm, perhaps. Or are students savvy enough to realize an advertisement is an advertisement, that it is the company speaking, not the school. If we do have concern that it might be considered an endorsement from the school, then place disclaimers at the bottom of the ads, saying something like, "This advertisement does not constitute an endorsement of the product by the school."

Advertising on buses differs from advertising in the lunchroom, however, as it it the general public the ads target, not the students.


I'm tendatively