Sunburned dolls teach kids importance of sunscreen
This article, Sunburned dolls teach kids importance of sunscreen, originally appeared on CNET.com.
Don't let these dolls get burned! Video screenshot by Bonnie Burton/CNET
Remember how annoying it was as a kid when your parents tried to make you stand still so they could apply goopy sunscreen lotion to your skin when all you wanted to do was run straight for the water?
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The ad agency FCB Brazil knows all too well that the last thing on kids' minds is putting on UV-blocking lotion before heading out to the ocean, lake, pool or any other fun-in-the-sun activity. So they made Nivea Dolls -- a toy that turns red when exposed to the sun.
The doll was made with a special plastic that shows kids firsthand how fast they can get a painful sunburn. Apply sunblock lotion to the doll and it turns from red to a skin color that's much less painful looking.
In FCB's promotional video, you can see kids fussing when their parents try to apply suntan lotion on their faces to protect them from harmful UV rays on the beach in Rio De Janeiro.
But once they receive and start playing with the dolls, the kids see how red the dolls' skin is getting and immediately apply lotion not only to their new plastic friends, but to themselves and their parents.
No word yet if Nivea plans to sell the sunburn dolls, but hopefully if the ad campaign gets more worldwide recognition we could see them on shelves and at the beach teaching more kids to protect themselves against the sun's harmful rays.
