New study sheds light on the role of sound and music in gendered toy marketing

A new study, published in PLOS ONE, from Queen Mary University of London uncovers how gender stereotypes are not only conveyed through visuals and language but are also deeply embedded in the sound and music used in advertisements targeted at children. 

For more than 40 years, research has shown how gender polarisation in children’s TV advertising permeates multiple facets of production, including camera work, settings, colours, and acting roles. However, this study, led by PhD student Luca Marinelli under the supervision of Dr Charalampos Saitis in Centre for Digital Music (Queen Mary), in collaboration with Professor Petra Lucht from the Center for Interdisciplinary Women’s and Gender Studies (TU Berlin), takes a fresh look at an often-overlooked element: music.  

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

This new research arrives at a time when advertising regulations in the UK are evolving to address harmful gender stereotypes. A 2020 statement from the UK Committee of Advertising Practice stressed the importance of tackling the broader implications of advertising messages that conform to or challenge gender norms. “Our findings reinforce the need for more comprehensive regulation,” Marinelli argues. “It’s not just about visual and verbal content — regulators must also consider the auditory dimension and how music perpetuates limiting stereotypes.” 

In terms of societal consequences, the study’s findings resonate with the 2019 report from the Fawcett Society, 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, while 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.” 

According to the first author, toy commercials can be described as “semiotic bombs,” packing multiple layers of meaning into short bursts of sound, imagery, and language. “It’s not just ‘pink for girls and blue for boys,’” says Marinelli. “When you add music and sound effects to the mix, you amplify the gendered messages significantly.” 

Professor Petra Lucht, chair of “Gender in STEM and Planning / Feminist Studies in Science, Technology and Society” at Technische Universität Berlin, points out the consequences of such commercials: “Gender marketing shapes how children, their parents, teachers, peers, and future employers perceive gender stereotypes and assign playful activities and professional skills. As gendered codes in music subtly reinforce gender roles, these attributions often go unnoticed. This study first presents analytical tools to detect such gendered codes in music and then extends the framework of gender and diversity research to technological developments. This adds a crucial perspective to gender and diversity research.” 

For those interested in exploring the data further, the research team has created two interactive maps that allow users to see the toy commercials and the music analysis firsthand: 

• Music-focused interactive map 

• Multimodal emotions interactive map 

These maps provide a compelling visual and auditory exploration of the study’s findings, showcasing how music in toy advertisements is carefully curated to evoke specific gendered responses. 

The study not only opens new avenues for research but also calls for more robust and informed policies to ensure that children are not exposed to limiting stereotypes at such formative stages of their development. “Ultimately, the goal is to create a media landscape where all children can see themselves represented in diverse, dynamic ways — not confined to outdated notions of what it means to be a boy or a girl,” Marinelli concludes.