concluded that the use of an aggressive and over-the-top male voice was prevalent in adverts aimed at boys, as opposed to the use of female voices. Other studies of interest have focused on the way in which parents choose toys for their children (Eisenberg, Wolchik, Hernández & Pasternack, 1985) or on understanding how children select the toys for their letters to Santa (Pine & Nash, 2009), whether emotionally or cognitively.

2. Methods

2.1. Objectives of the study

The main purpose is to understand how family socio-emotional relationships are represented in toy ads subject to the situations and actions represented and associated with the characters. To this end, the differences in representation of the characters in each of the ads are identified and described, as regards age, gender, phenotype, role and the actions performed. A sample of toy ads broadcast prior to and over the Christmas period 2014/2015 was analysed, as this is the period of the year where there is an increase in the commercials of this type broadcast on television. We understand that advertising shows a particular vision, an intentional reflection of social reality, an imitation of reality. Therefore, it is important to observe and analyse the ways in which children and adults represent themselves and relate to each other and what type of behaviours, attitudes, emotions, values, acts and messages they are associated with in the commercials.

Due to the complexity involved in defining advertising, which is both a social and a socialising phenomenon, this paper articulates the following set of objectives for studying the relationship between the concepts of advertising and family. The first objective is to offer a structure for analysis of the representation of the family in the toy ads which enables this line of research to be continued in future academic studies. This structure is based on the following study variables: Presence of characters; gender of the characters; phenotype of the characters; presence and classification of family characters; presence of adult characters and role; presence of influencers; identification and classification of the advertised toy according to toy category; actions of the characters; identification of emotions and values. The second objective is to identify positive and negative trends and improvements in how the family is represented in toy ads.

2.2. Analysis criteria: methodology and study techniques

The analysis universe is made up of the toy commercials broadcast during the weeks defined as being part of the Christmas period for 2014/15: the months of November and December 2014 up until 5 January 2015 (the night when, according to Spanish tradition, the Three Kings or Three Wise Men bring presents to children to celebrate Epiphany on 6 January).

Christmas is the period in the year with the highest selling figures for the toy market in Spain, together with the period close to the summer holidays. Due to the tradition of Christmas presents – reflected in the cultural figures of Father Christmas or Santa Claus, tió de Nadal (Catalonia), Olentzero (the Basque Country), and other figures from traditional folklore depending on the autonomous region, culture or town –the dates of 24 and 25 December are gaining momentum in the toy market. Although “commercial” Christmas customs in Spain have changed markedly since the 1980s, the apex and key date in this area for Spain is 6 January, the date of Epiphany or the adoration of the Magi, a very widespread tradition in Spain and