Changes in the Stereotypical Portrayal of Men and Women in British Television Advertisements

Abstract

This study examines the way in which men and women are portrayed in British television advertisements, and these findings are compared with those of studies carried out in Britain over the past 25 years. A total of 162 television advertisements were analyzed by two white adults, one female, one male, in order to obtain reliable results. The attributes of the central figures in each of the advertisements were classified into 11 categories: gender, mode of presentation, credibility basis, role, location, age, argument, reward type, product type, background, and end comment. Advertisements aimed directly at men or women were then analyzed, according to the sex of the central figure and the sex of the consumer the advertisement is aimed at. Thereafter, advertisements that did not follow the sex-role stereotype were also analyzed. The study found that while differences between the portrayal of men and women have been reduced in some categories, in others the stereotypical portrayal has changed in both sexes. The findings are related to data from another cross-cultural European study using identical methodology.