You're right, some formulas are advertised on television.  There's Carnation
Follow-up, from four to twelve months, Toddler's Best (in convenient aseptic
packaging) until age three, then all those formulas for kid's who just don't
eat right ("As a nutritionist I know what's best, but as a mother, I
worry.."), then Boost for all us non-elderly adults until we're ready for
Ensure.  Then we die.

Yes, Carnation is part of Nestle, which caused a particularly bad scene on
Main Street, USA in Disneyland.  We brought the kids all the way to
Disneyland, then denied them the pleasure of eating ice cream at the Main
Street Ice Cream Parlor (presented by the Carnation Company).  What a mean
mommy!  They've been getting back at me by tearing down the forests and
building formula factories in SimCity--and then naming the formulas after me.

I've seen the pre-Barney advertisments on PBS.  We're beyond Barney in this
house, but a couple of years ago it was all the rage.  I had to special order
size 8 underpants for my then seven-year-old son.  He loved his new Barney
underpants until I packed a  few pair for his first Cub Scout overnighter.
Okay, so I made a mistake.   Everything changed after that unfortunate
incident.

I think the Barney situation is a lot like the Beatrix Potter/Peter Rabbit
situation.  Using beloved characters to promote unsavory items.  Couldn't you
just see Barney, Peter and Joe Cool (of Camel cigarette ads) all together
around a camp fire passing around the cigarettes and popping the tops of
those Ready-to-Feeds....