Media Smart

Mediasmart is an organisation which is funded by fast-food, media and toy industries. On it's website it claims the following:

Media Smart® is a media literacy programme, initially focused on advertising. Our objective is to provide children with the tools to help them understand and interpret advertising, so that they are able to make informed choices. Media Smart® is designed for primary school children aged 6-11 years old. It is the first UK media literacy programme to run inside the classroom and the home using broadcast and written educational materials. [1]

History and Origins of Mediasmart

The roots for Mediasmart are to be seen in the "Concerned Children's Advertisers" organisation founded in Canada [2] which is also funded by transnational corporations [3].

An independent organisation?

Mediasmart does not mention on it's website who its employees/staff are. The office address is given as:- Media Smart Abford House 15 Wilton Road London SW1V 1NJ UK [4]

This office is also the address of the Advertising Association, which suggests that Mediasmart is based inside the Advertsing Association's offices.

The domain mediasmart.org.uk is also registered by Media Smart, but a whois with the British internet registry gives out a differing address for Media Smart:
29 Cloth Fair
London
EC1A 7NN [5]

This address seems to be a center for PR companies. It is houses the offices of Hudson Sandler [6] and the Global Consulting Group [7], both of which are subsidiaries of Huntsworth. The GCG entry in the APPC register lists Media Smart as a client between December 2004 and May 2005.

Mediasmart international

Mediasmart is spreading throughout the world. It has divisions in Belgium, The Netherlands, Poland, Ireland, Finland and Germany. Mediasmart Germany (www.mediasmart.de) is owned according to the german internet registry [8] by RTL DISNEY Fernsehen GmbH Co.KG.

Funders

According to it's website, "Media Smart is not for profit and is funded by corporate sponsors and partner organisations. It is supported by the UK. Government" [9]

• Advertising Association,
• Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO,
• DDB London,
• British Toy and Hobby Association,
• BSkyB,
• Business in the Community,
• Cadbury Trebor Bassett,
• Jetix,
• GMTV,
• Hasbro,
• H J Heinz Co Ltd,
• Incorporated Society of British Advertisers,
• Institute of Practitioners of Advertising,
• ITV,
• Kellogg's,
• Lego,
• Logistix Kids,
• Masterfoods,
• Mattel,
• McDonald’s,
• Mindshare,
• Procter & Gamble,
• Turner Broadcasting,
• Unilever,
• Viacom Brand Solutions,
• Young Media Ltd.