Some sociologists think that advertisements have the power to influence society. Others believe that their function is simply representative. But what is the truth? Advertising content reflects changes in society, but can trigger innovative social norms, proposing new behaviors and attitudes. It is no coincidence that the family in the commercials follows the cultural changes of society. Suffice it to say that in the past, women mothers were seen solely as the "queens of the kitchen"; while the men-fathers as "those who brought bread home". To date, however, the representation of the family tends to adhere more closely to social complexities. For this reason, advertisements have also begun to give voice to the countless types and representations of families. The purpose, however, remains the same and even today the family in commercials is used as a symbol of social, psychological and personal persuasion . As? Let's see it together. From the Industrial Revolution to today Let's start from the industrial revolution, the historical period in which large companies and mass production were born, and little by little the concept of "Brand Loyality" developed . In this period, symbols and stereotypes are used to convince consumers to purchase one product rather than another. And even the representation of the family begins to play its part, addressing the community with idyllic and harmonious images.
In commercials, the family is often the protagonist of commercials for specific product sectors: food, pharmaceuticals, household cleaning and personal hygiene products. But that is not all. During the period of the Industrial Revolution, advertising was particularly careful to convey "socially acceptable" images, often falling into strong stereotyping . In fact, we remember the " Family of the Mulino Bianco ", a phrase that has become common even today to describe a traditional family (mother, father, a son and a daughter) smiling, happy and in harmony. The happy family par excellence, but a little distant from everyday life. The classic "Mulino Bianco" family The classic “Mulino Bianco” family Some data in hand Let's take a step forward and from commercials, let's go back to our reality. Istat shows us how the situation has changed on a social level . The number of families with 5 or more members is only 5.3% of the total. One in ten families is made up of a single parent, while families made up of two or more families correspond to 1.5% of the total. Then there are subcategories such as unmarried couples, silver families , homosexual couples or extended families, who want Croatia WhatsApp Number their own space. And so it is that inside and outside advertising in commercials, the "perfect" and "stereotypical" family is giving way to more authentic and closer situations. Let's now look at some examples in which families find a voice for an all-round representation of the consumer. Knorr and the first non-traditional family The first example of an advert that embraces a new vision of family is from 2004, created by the ready-made sauce brand Knorr . A little protagonist sitting at the table asks the man next to his mother: "Marco, do you love me?...
Even if you're not my dad?" . The advertisement continues with a sketch in which the child steals his plate of pasta. A first example is proposed here where the father in the traditional sense is replaced by the mother's boyfriend . A new vision of family finds space, a new possibility of identification for the individual. Youtube video of Knorr advertising Croccarelle Santa Lucia: the meeting of two families Another example comes from a few years later, with an advert for Croccarelle Santa Lucia . The protagonists are a woman and her boyfriend with their respective children from different partners. We see in this commercial a new representation of family: the one given by the meeting of two different nuclei ready to merge. The role of Santa Lucia mozzarella? Get everyone to agree at the table.