Code of Conduct for KB&B - Family Marketing Experts in dealing with communication aimed at children and adolescents

Status: December 2025

Preamble

As a specialist agency for marketing for children and families, we are aware of the particular responsibility we have when dealing with this sensitive target group. Children and young people need special protection due to their personal development — particularly in a rapidly changing digital environment.

We are committed to consistently complying with the following principles in all our analog and digital advertising measures.

Our principles

1. Naturalness and authenticity

‍We will not use statements made by children about products that do not match their natural expressions or that work “in their mouths.”

2. Safety

‍We will never portray children in dangerous situations or downplay risk-taking behavior without justified reason.

3. Dignity and mental health (body positivity)

‍We will not portray children in a sexualized way. We also commit ourselves to refrain from excessive digital retouching and filters that promote unrealistic beauty ideals and could negatively influence the self-esteem or body image of children and adolescents.

4. Responsible consumption & design ethics

‍We do not make direct purchase requests (“Buy that! “) to children and do not ask them to persuade their parents or third parties to buy. In digital environments, we strictly refrain from so-called “Dark Patterns” (manipulative design elements) that exploit children's inexperience to push them to make unconscious decisions or artificially extend their time of stay.

5. Data protection & profiling waiver

Protecting children's privacy is a top priority. We strictly comply with all relevant data protection laws. In line with the Digital Services Act (DSA) When displaying advertising to minors, we refrain from targeting based on profiling (the evaluation of personal behavioral data).

6. Transparency & Labeling

‍Advertising must be immediately recognizable as such by children and young people — regardless of which channel. This applies in particular to social media and influencer marketing. We are committed to clear, child-friendly advertising.

7. Emotional Sensibility

‍We refrain from realistic scenes that could be stressful, fearful or disturbing in the context of children's lives.

8. Artificial intelligence

‍We use AI responsibly. We treat content generated using artificial intelligence transparently to enable children to differentiate between reality and fiction. (Details can be found in our separate AI Code of Conduct).

9. Protection of legitimate expectations & role model

‍We do not misuse the special trust that children have in parents, teachers and other caregivers. Criminal acts or socially incompatible conduct are never presented as worth imitating.

10. Legal compliance

‍We are committed to complying with all national and international laws, in particular the State Youth Media Protection Treaty (JMStV) and the Digital Services Act (DSA). When using pictures or statements from children, we always obtain the written consent of the legal guardian.

Addendum for addressing young people

For advertising aimed specifically at young people, the following also applies:

• Inexperience: We will not direct purchase requests to young people who exploit their inexperience or gullibility.
• Autonomy: We respect the growing autonomy of young people without using manipulative tactics.

Final provisions

This Code of Conduct is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that it is in line with evolving legal frameworks and ethical standards. We are committed to living these principles in our daily work.

We recognize our responsibility towards children and young people and will do everything in our power to protect their interests and well-being.