The use of different language in LEGO advertisements for boys and girls Essay

One striking thing about both ads is the different use of language. The
text of the left ad 'toys for boys' implies that train games are only for
boys and consequently that girls do not like train toys. This depicts a
clear gender stereotype. This idea is strengthened by the fact that only a
boy is depicted in the advertisement playing with the tank engine.
Meanwhile, the other advertisement delivers an entirely
different message. The sentence 'what it is, is beautiful', suggests that it doesn't matter what you make with your toys. The statement the advertisers want to make by using this text is that we shouldn't care so much about with what kind of things children play. Their happiness should be the only thing that matters. The idea that gender neutral toys do indeed bring joy is shown by the little girl smiling from ear to ear while proudly showing whatever it is she just made with LEGO.
The right ad proves that there was no gender segregation in toys' advertisement for children in the past. Therefore, you might be wondering what caused this gap between boys' and girls' toys. The reason is simple yet shocking manufacturers saw a way to make more profit by making several versions of the same product. Instead of just selling LEGO for the entire family, the family now had to buy multiple sets if they had a son and a daughter. The consequences of this can be seen in the advertisement from 2011.
Of course, there are differences between boys and girls and they will therefore sometimes like different things. However, I believe that every child likes to build his or her own creations. And do we need pink or blue blocks to build those? Do girls really need a girly engine if they want to play with their recently built train track? No! Just giving them the idea that they can do or make everything they want to is enough. Just look at the smile on the girl's face after finishing whatever it is supposed to be. Every child should be allowed to be this happy.
Hopefully you will see the problem in this. If boys and girls are thought at a young age through images in the media that boys and girls are really different from each other, most of them will keep this idea later on. They will stick to the idea that some things are just meant to be done by boys and some by girls. Jobs can be an example of this. If only young girls can play with a pretend kitchen set, they will get the idea that this is a task for woman in the household. If only young boys can play with pretend guns, they will get the idea that only men can join the police or the army. By treating young boys and girls more similarly from an early age, they will grow old with the idea that there should be gender equality.