:: adgruntie :: Teaching kids about advertising

+ Toy giant Hasbro is directing a marketing effort at schools with a free board game about advertising.

The US firm will distribute 10,000 free copies of the game to primary school students, claiming it will help improve literacy among six- to 11-year-olds.

Hasbro says Media Smart's Game of Life, in which students plan marketing campaigns, will teach them about "persuasive writing, jingles and puns".

The game is backed by Media Smart, the industry body that promotes advertising awareness and is funded by McDonald's, Masterfoods, Procter & Gamble and advertising agencies including Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and DDB London.

The game explains how to market everything from mobile phones to charities. Schoolchildren will earn points if their advertising campaign gets a positive review or if it is shortlisted for a reward, but suffer if the marketing budget is cut or the product packaging is bad.

Sounds cool. I'd like to get my hands on one of these.