| 1 | Being a huge CashCowFranchise and one of the biggest properties for Creator/{{Paramount|Global}}, ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' has fallen into this trope way too many times, especially when it comes to merchandising aimed at children younger than its 6-to-12-year-old target demographic. It doesn't help that it's often the first thing Nickelodeon airs once their ''Creator/NickJr'' block ends, thus creating a sizable PeripheryDemographic of children 5 and under. |
| 2 | * In 2009, Burger King advertised kids' meals based on the show with a commercial featuring... a "[[Music/SirMixALot Baby Got Back]]" parody music video: girls in hot pants with square appliances on their backsides shaking their booties to "I like square butts and I cannot lie!" to hawk fast food and cheap toys to 6-year-olds, with Advertising/TheBurgerKing standing around them. While this actually fits pretty well with ''[=SpongeBob=]'', the marketing itself is undeniably Misaimed. |
| 3 | * There are ''[=SpongeBob=]'' baby wipes and rectal thermometers on the market. |
| 4 | * Downplayed example: In 2012, UsefulNotes/McDonalds did a ''[=SpongeBob=]'' Happy Meal tying in for the UsefulNotes/OlympicGames in London, which is an odd choice for a collaboration, since the show is not British. |
| 5 | * Perhaps the most mind-baffling example of this trope is the [=SpongeBob=] [[https://www.amazon.com/Squatty-Potty-Spongebob-Squarepants-Toilet/dp/B00HSR1DFO/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=squatty+potty+spongebob&qid=1581979494&sprefix=squatty+potty+sponge&sr=8-3 Squatty Potty Stool]]. |
| 6 | * There's also a [=SpongeBob=] [[https://splashe.com/products/sponge-bob-screen-daddy-3-ct phone-cleaning sponge]]. |
| 7 | * It's more than a little ironic that officially licensed ''[=SpongeBob=]'' fishing poles exist. Yo ho, yo ho, near the hooks I'll never go? |
| 8 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43e9MTgTHrw [=SpongeBob=] promotes Old Spice]]. Keep in mind that while the show does have a fairly large PeripheryDemographic and the ad is most likely targeted towards said demographic, most people who would be seeing ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOnTheRun'' and who would be drawn to its merchandising and marketing are children. |
| 9 | * A [=SpongeBob=] makeup sponge exists. And it's shaped like [=SpongeBob=], too! |
| 10 | * Stephen Hillenburg stated in an interview that there was a proposal for ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' fish sticks, which is odd considering the show takes place in the ocean. They were never sold after. |
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