Michael Prieler

Gender-Role Portrayals in Television Advertising Across the Globe

Although there are numerous studies on gender-role portrayals in television advertising, comparative designs are clearly lacking. With content analytical data from a total of 13 Asian, American, and European countries, we study the stereotypical depiction of men and women in television advertisements. Our sample consists of 1755 ads collected in May 2014. Analyzing the gender of the primary character and voiceover, as well as the age, associated product categories, home- or work setting, and the working role of the primary character, we concluded that gender stereotypes in TV advertising can be found around the world. A multilevel model further showed that gender stereotypes were independent of a country’s gender indices, including Hofstede’s Masculinity Index, GLOBE’s Gender Egalitarianism Index, the Gender-related Development Index, the Gender Inequality Index, and the Global Gender Gap Index. These findings suggest that gender stereotyping in television advertising does not depend on the gender equality prevalent in a country. The role of a specific culture in shaping gender stereotypes in television advertising is thus smaller than commonly thought.

Othering, racial hierarchies and identity construction in Japanese television advertising:

Although non-Japanese actors have appeared in Japanese television commercials for years, little systematic research has been conducted on them. Using a sample of 20,000 commercials, this article shows that the inclusion of ‘Others’ in TV commercials conforms to an artificial ‘racial hierarchy’ that mirrors Japanese society’s perception of racial groups. White people appear more often than all other groups combined, are represented through discernible stereotypes and advertise nearly all product categories. By contrast, blacks and non-Japanese Asians are associated with a narrower range. The former appear as musicians and athletes; the latter are either famous celebrities or associated with products from their countries of origin. These ‘Others’ are often stereotyped in ways that differentiate them from Japanese. Overall, this article provides insight into the attitudes of the Japanese toward ‘Others’, contributing both to the long-standing discourse of Japanese exceptionalism (nihonjinron) and the understanding of Japanese society in a globalizing world.

The representation of older people in television advertisements and social change: the case of Japan

ABSTRACT The representation of social groups in advertising has been a major concern in academia. However, research focusing on older people has been scant and mainly conducted in Western countries. In Japan, the country that has been most affected by demographic change, this research area has received little attention. Through a content analysis of a systematic sample of 2,972 television advertisements broadcast on the five major commercial television stations in Japan in 1997 and 2007, this paper tries to fill this research gap, examining changes in the representation of older people in Japanese television advertising. When comparing 2007 to 1997, we found that older people appeared more often, were increasingly alone and in major roles, and were portrayed in more favourable ways, which suggests that their status changed. These changes appear to be related to the fact that older people have become more important within Japanese society. However, some aspects have remained unchanged; older people continue to be under-represented, which does not reflect demographic reality, and are used in advertisements for foods and beverages, confirming findings from previous studies. Our findings indicate that the representation of older people in Japanese television advertising has changed but remains unrealistic.

Gender Stereotypes in Spanish- and English-Language Television Advertisements in the United States

This study analyzed 394 U.S. Spanish- and English-language television advertisements from 2013 for differences in gender representation. The findings indicate a high prevalence of gender stereotypes in both samples. For example, more women than men were depicted as young and were usually shown at home. Men actors were generally fully dressed, whereas women were often suggestively dressed. Voice-overs were clearly dominated by men, and product categories were stereotypically associated with gender. Despite allegedly more traditional Latina/o gender role attitudes in society, this study found little variation between Spanish- and English-language television advertisements in terms of gender stereotypes. The potential effects of such representations on audiences are discussed based on social cognitive theory and cultivation theory.

Ältere Menschen in der japanischen Fernsehwerbung: Eine umfragebasierte und inhaltsanalytische Untersuchung

AbstractThis article presents results from a survey on the image of older people in Japan and a content analysis of how they are represented in Japanese TV commercials. The representative survey resulted in 720 responses from people between 15 and 65 years of age in the greater Tokyo area. Among the findings: The term kōreisha (elderly people) is generally used to refer to people over 70, although the official definition in Japan is over 65; kōreisha and dankai no sedai (baby boomers) are identified as very distinct groups with different characteristics; and there is a generally positive attitude towards ageing, while negative stereotypes are rejected. The survey participants were also asked for their impressions of how older people are depicted in TV advertising. These impressions were then compared to objective measures of Japanese TV ads through the use of content analysis. The systematic sample consisted of 2,972 television commercials aired in the years 1997 and 2007. The results echo the findings of...

The Representation of Older People in East Asian Television Advertisements

In this study, 432 television advertisements from Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea were analyzed to determine their representations of older people. Findings demonstrate that in East Asian advertisements, older people are highly underrepresented, appear in major roles, mostly alongside younger people, and older men clearly outnumber older women. The other variables investigated (i.e., setting and product categories) led to no conclusive findings for the three societies. In short, our study, employing ethnolinguistic vitality theory to analyze television advertisements, demonstrates how East Asian societies greatly marginalize older people. Potential effects of such representations are discussed using social cognitive theory and cultivation theory.

Japan's demographic revolution? A study of advertising practitioners' views on stereotypes

This article presents results from a survey of advertising practitioners in Japan focusing on their opinions about the communication objectives and stereotypes, specifically the effectiveness of older spokespersons, their general views on older models in advertising and the effectiveness of older models by product category. We find that these opinions are rather positive. The intention to use a larger number of older models is affected by the perceived effectiveness of older spokespersons and the expected increase in older models and client interest. When targeting an older audience, older spokespersons are seen as particularly effective for the product category of health/medical, but for a general audience it is financial services/insurance. Regardless of product category, they are perceived more effective when targeting an older versus a general audience and when targeting aged 50–64 versus 65 plus.

Citizen Journalism and Democratisation of Mainstream Media in Rwanda

ABSTRACT This paper explores the role that citizen journalism is playing in democratising the mainstream media in Rwanda. Through in-depth interviews with journalists from two radio stations and by using the public sphere theory as a theoretical framework, this research sought to answer the question as to whether citizen journalism in Rwanda propels media democratisation by enabling democratic deliberation through its ability to inform, filling in the gaps left by mainstream media and by encouraging critical thinking. The findings from this study show that citizens participate in the daily work of the media through commentaries and by serving as news sources. However, citizens have not yet had a tangible impact on the functioning of the two media where self-censorship and gatekeeping are widely practised. Democratisation of these radio stations appears to be more theoretical rather than an established practice. Hence, the public sphere in the Habermasian sense is not yet a reality.

Characteristics of Japanese Television Advertising

This chapter will give a short introduction to Japanese advertising (including advertising agencies, advertising media, and television advertisements) and then introduces some of the so-called specialties of Japanese television advertising and offer common explanations and discussion of these characteristics. We will conclude, however, that most of these “specialties” are actually myths and are not unique to Japan and lack empirical evidence. As noted by previous researchers, many accounts are based only on personal observations, rather than empirical data (McCreery, 2000; Moeran, 1996; Praet, 1999). In short, this chapter will debunk the myths about Japanese advertising and show that cultural explanations are not sufficient, in and of themselves; it is necessary to take factors other than culture into account. For example, considering these so-called specialties in an international context will show whether they are really unique to Japan, as claimed by several articles, or whether they might be based either on the sole referent system of the United States or some form of exoticization by foreigners and/or self-exoticization by the Japanese (see also Prieler, 2008b).

Advertising Practitioners’ Views on the Use of Older Models

This chapter looks at advertising practitioners’ views on the use of older models in advertising in Japan (see also: Hagiwara et al., 2010; Kohlbacher, Prieler, & Hagiwara, 2011b, 2014). Our content analysis of television advertising (Chapter 3) seems to suggest that advertising agencies are relatively reluctant to feature older models, especially those who are non-celebrities, as well as those who are 65 years and older. However, the content analysis can only serve as an indirect indication of advertising practitioners’ views and attitudes and does not reveal the reasons for their decision not to use many older models. We have therefore decided to ask advertising practitioners directly through qualitative interviews and a questionnaire-based survey.