Analysis of the Representation of the Father's Role in the Family in Television Advertisements (Case Study: Commercial Advertisements for Saray-Irani and Shahr-e-Home Appliances)

Today, commercial advertising is a multifaceted phenomenon whose positive or negative results go beyond the realm of business and persuasion to buy. Many cultural studies have been conducted to understand the effects of commercial advertising. One of these axes is the impact of commercial advertising on family roles, and there is a concern that family roles be accurately represented in commercial advertising. Among these roles is the role of the father, whose representation in some commercial advertisements conflicts with the cultural and religious teachings of society. This is while commercial advertising should not violate religious and indigenous values and beliefs and display behaviors that go against them. This research has attempted to use semiotics to address the hidden layers of the representation of the father's role in the family in advertisements for Saray Iranian and Shahr Home Appliances. The sampling method was purposeful and six television advertisements were selected for this research. This study shows that a new type of representation of gender roles has emerged in commercial advertisements, which, unlike the previous trend in which female roles were represented, focuses on the male role, specifically the father of the family. The findings of the study show that the representation of the father's role is in conflict with religious teachings and accepted societal norms, and that promoting these perceptions can harm the family's identity, and therefore indicates the need for greater attention to the content of commercial advertisements.