And water is wet

So advertising builds brand awareness? Duh. I figured that companies were spending all that money on 30-second spots for a reason.

But so what?

The important point in the article is buried at the end.

Pradeep Chintagunta, a University of Chicago marketing professor, said a fairer comparison might have gauged kids' preferences for the McDonald's label versus another familiar brand, such as Mickey Mouse.

"I don't think you can necessarily hold this against" McDonald's, he said, since the goal of marketing is to build familiarity and sell products.

He noted that parents play a strong role in controlling food choices for children so young.

That's right; it's the role of parents to help their kids interpret the information their children receive, including that from advertisements. They're also supposed to exercise control over their children's choices, because the little tykes aren't yet capable of rationally assessing the input they receive. If parents' role was unnecessary, we could just hand the kids Visa cards and be done with it.

Of course, that's not the lesson the professional bedwetters draw from the article. They want legal restrictions placed on advertising because kids might develop preferences based on what they see and hear.

The study is likely to stir more debate over the movement to restrict ads to kids. It comes less than a month after 11 major food and drink companies, including McDonald's, announced new curbs on marketing to children under 12.

I repeat, it's the role of parents to guide their children. We don't structure the world to fit the presumed needs of the wee ones--we live in a world made for adults, and we prepare our kids to fit into it through all the arguments and tantrums.

If that's too difficult a role to play, don't have children. It's as easy as that.