He does make a valid point
I was an avid comic book reader during my youth. Back in the 70s and 80s I particularly remember full page ads by Hostess that were tied in with various Marvel super heroes.
I've always loved Hostess Fruit Pies, and on more than one occasion, these ads got me to put the comic books down, hop on my bike, and ride to the corner store to buy one. I can absolutely see masses of children doing the same thing back in the day.
It's a throwback from a time when advertising geared towards kids had a lot of thought put into it. Companies used to fight for your business, and it showed in the promotion and ads they ran. The tag lines were even more fun. I don't think I could ever forget the "You get a big delight in every bite" Hostess slogan.
Below is an ad from the front inside cover of a "Walt Disney's Comics and Stories" comic book that I've owned since 1980. Click on the image to enlarge, and enjoy..
Hostess went bankrupt several years ago and as new owners took over, much of the magic and quality faded from the brand. I read last week that the J.M. Smucker Company acquired Hostess through a deal they struck on September 11th 2023, for around $5.6 billon dollars. I don't think they could do any worse than previous owners Apollo Global Management.
Over the last decade, I've watched the brand drop popular products, decrease portion size, skimp on quality, and steadily lose relevance in the snack cake industry. I am keeping a watchful eye, hoping J.M. Smuckers brings back some of the old magic that made the brand so great, or at the very least improve upon the quality and distribution of their products. Time will tell..