A shopper recently put Costco on blast for a questionable marketing tactic aimed at children.
"I was walking through Costco and I saw these stuffed animals holding a random assortment of branded food items," the poster wrote above a series of photos shared to the r/Anticonsumption subreddit.
The photos show three stuffed animals — one holding a Subway sandwich, one a Cinnabon cinnamon roll, and one a can of Pringles.
"Literally getting people to buy a fast food advertisements for their impressionable children," the OP continued, "Is it just me or is this crazy?"
While the stuffed animals and their snacks may seem innocent at first, they are problematic for several reasons.
One, as the OP pointed out, is that young children are impressionable, and the foods being advertised to them are certainly less than healthy options. A recent study revealed that people who ate large quantities of processed meat, butter, and food prepared in restaurants — like the foods these adorable plushies are pushing — had higher levels of PFAS in their blood.
PFAs are also referred to as "forever chemicals" because they don't break down in the environment or our bodies. According to the NRDC, the toxic substances have been linked to certain cancers, hormone disruption, liver and thyroid problems, and reproductive harm, among other health risks.
Ad inundation is also becoming a growing issue. It seems no matter where you go, someone is trying to sell you something, whether it be at the beach, on the side of a bus, or in the toy section of Costco.
Lastly, these toys will likely live short lives with their child owners before making their way to landfills, where they will take up space and contribute to the pollution causing our planet to rapidly overheat.
While we may not be able to control the products put into the world, we can reduce the demand for ones like these plushies by supporting eco-friendly kid brands and using toy rental services.Â
Other Redditors were as upset by the tactic as the OP and sounded off in the post's comment section.
"I'm so tired of ads being shoved directly into my retinas every second of my existence," wrote one. "They're trying to sink their hooks into vulnerable children for BRAND RECOGNITION."
"Isn't that illegal?" asked another. "Really feels like it should be illegal."
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