ADVERTISING TO CHILDREN

Soundtracks in toy ads shape gender stereotypes, study suggests

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024

Researchers analysed a sample of toy commercials and identified distinctions in the musical styles used in ads targeting boys and girls.

According to a new study from Queen Mary University of London, the music and soundscapes used in toy commercials are reinforcing rigid gender norms and shaping the way children perceive masculinity and femininity.

Photo: Pixabay

The researchers say gender stereotypes are not only conveyed through visuals and language, but are also embedded in the sound and music used in advertisements targeted at children. 

 

Their study, published in the academic journal PLOS ONE, involved researchers from Queen Mary University and Technische Universität Berlin (commonly known as TU Berlin). 

 

“The role of music in gender representation has been largely ignored, but our findings show that soundtracks are instrumental in shaping gender perceptions from an early age,” explains lead author Luca Marinelli. 

 

By analysing a large sample of toy commercials aired in the UK, the researchers identified clear distinctions in the musical styles used in advertisements targeting boys and girls. 

 

In commercials aimed at boys, the soundtracks tended to be louder, more abrasive, and distorted, reinforcing notions of masculinity through harsher soundscapes. In contrast, ads targeting girls featured softer, more harmonious music, reinforcing traditional associations with femininity. 

 

“These synergistic design choices are not accidental; they are deliberately in line with entrenched gender norms,” says Marinelli. 

 

Dr Charalampos Saitis, Lecturer in Digital Music Processing and senior author of the paper, highlights the wider societal implications of this phenomenon. 

 

Children are receiving these messages on multiple levels 

 

“Gendered music in advertising doesn’t just influence how toys are marketed – it shapes the affective experience of the commercial itself. Children are receiving these messages on multiple levels, and the emotional impact of the music reinforces the gender binary in subtle but powerful ways.” 

 

In terms of societal consequences, the study’s findings resonate with the 2019 report from the Fawcett Society (a charity that campaigns for gender equality and women’s rights), which linked early exposure to gender stereotypes with a range of issues, from body image concerns to limited career aspirations and higher male suicide rates.  

 

“The consequences of these early messages are far-reaching,” Marinelli stresses. “Music in toy commercials is just one piece of the puzzle, but it’s a powerful one.” 

 

The study also delves into the historical and cultural roots of the gendered associations between certain instruments and gender identities. For example, harps are often perceived as feminine due to their historical association with women in 18th-century French salons. Drums, long used in warfare, are stereotypically linked to masculinity. 

 

“These associations have become so ingrained in our collective consciousness that we rarely stop to question them,” Marinelli notes. “But they profoundly influence the way we interpret gender roles, even in something as seemingly innocuous as a toy commercial.” 

 

A particularly thought-provoking concept introduced in the study is that of ‘music-primed gender schemas’, a psychological framework through which music evokes gendered meanings and expectations. 

 

Marinelli explains, “These schemas merge aesthetic and gendered meanings, priming listeners to associate certain sounds with masculinity or femininity. In the context of advertising, this can reinforce narrow conceptions of gender roles, which, in turn, shape children’s perceptions of what is ‘appropriate’ for boys and girls.” 

 

You can find out more about the study, titled ‘A Multimodal Understanding of the Role of Sound and Music in Gendered Toy Marketing’, here.

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    Dr Kin Kariisa

    Group CEO - Next Media

    Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
    With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
    Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

    Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

    Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

    • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
    • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
    • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
    • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.