poster child

[Mnemon]

Does the term have any negative connotation with it?
I read,

It is used for a child afflicted by some disease or deformity whose picture was used on posters to raise money for charitable purposes.

Also, Longman labels it as AmE. Do we have an equivalent for it in BrE?

poster child | meaning of poster child in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE

poster child meaning, definition, what is poster child: a child with a particular illness or phy...: Learn more.

www.ldoceonline.com

 

[Skrej]

No, not necessarily. It depends on what the person is a poster child for.

It is frequently used as a humorous way to refer to a negative quality, but it doesn't have to be negative.

 

[SoothingDave]

I would say that it does have negative connotations, even if the use is usually humorous. No one wants to be a poster child. It means there's something wrong with you and you're to be pitied.