Family and socio-emotional relations in advertising of toys in the Christmas period

Abstract

This study analyses toy advertising broadcast in Spain over the 2014/15 Christmas period. The goal is to begin a quantitative review of how family is represented in commercials. Initially, it reviews the concepts of childhood, relates them to the concept of socialisation and offers a short analysis of the advertising phenomenon. The results evaluate the presence of types of emotions, values and actions associated with the gender of the characters featured, and the frequency of parent- and grandparent-character appearances in toy ads targeting children is quantified. The limited presence of these characters establishes a basis for discussion about the role of said characters as necessary figures of reference and authority in child development. A final reflection is also proposed regarding the homogeneity of the representations of gender associated with the characters' roles, for both adults and children. Lastly, this paper justifies interest in widening the study to international level, to make it possible to check the degree of similarity and of contrast in said representations as a way to contribute to understanding and viewing the family in advertising discourses.