Scheme Evaluation Card
In Brief
Recommendation: (details)
In keeping with the principle that no logo or advertising bearing material should be placed before students in schools, we reject this scheme as it stands.
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National Safety Council / Renault : Seatbelt Sheriff
Name:
Seatbelt Sheriff
Sponsor:
National Safety Council and Renault
Objective:
“a fun way to get children involved in saving lives”
Classification:
Sponsored Educational Material and competition.
Year: 2005 (2nd year)
Past Record: [top]
This scheme was launched in 2004 involving the same sponsor and similar materials.
Materials: [top]
1st and 2nd classes received (unsolicited) a booklet, poster, certificates featuring the Seatbelt Pledge, stickers and badges. All of these feature the cartoon character Seatbelt Sheriff, the Renault logo and the promotional caption “Renault. The safest car you can drive.”
Comments: [top]
The issue of car safety and seatbelt wearing is an important one and is addressed in the SPHE curriculum (Safety and Protection). It is disappointing and unacceptable that all materials accompanying this scheme aimed at 7 and 8 year olds feature both the logo and current advertising slogan of a single car manufacturer.
Giving children badges, stickers, posters or certificates carrying the blatant assertion that Renault are “The safest cars you can drive” is to bias and commercialise this subject in an inappropriate manner. The placing of a corporate logo on such materials (including the Seatbelt Sheriff’s uniform itself) creates, we feel, an unfair and unproven association in the minds of children. Young children should not be wearing badges with company logos on them in schools – they are not to be “branded” by any cowboy advertiser.
Recommendation: [top]
In keeping with the principle that no logo or advertising bearing material should be placed before students in schools, we reject this scheme as it stands.
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High |
Fair |
Low |
Curricular
Relevance |
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Logo/Brand
Presence |
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Influence
on Spending
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While teachers may wish to subvert to advertising intent by removing these from the posters and certificates, we recommend the use of other commercial-free material from the National Safety Council (e.g. Be Safe programme, 2000) until such time as the scheme is amended. The issue of road safety pertains equally to all models and makes of car and is far too important to trivialise with commercial slogans. We suggest that parents’ and teachers’ dissatisfaction with this scheme should be expressed to the National Safety Council so that future initiatives may be commercial-free.
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