Soundtracks in toy ads shape gender stereotypes, study suggests

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.