Gender representations in online food advertising of ultra-processed products

Online advertising of ultra-processed food products is increasingly present in our daily lives. Brands use gender representations as a tool to influence purchases, but lack of diversity in representations does not connect with people's different realities. Nonetheless, the literature has not yet explored this topic in depth. Therefore, this study uses qualitative content analysis methodology to examine how audiovisual messages construct masculinities and femininities in 14 advertisements of the most popular ultra-processed brands in the world. We have observed that male and female representations are organised according to different profiles related to hegemonic characteristics with little diversity in terms of sexual orientation, age, ethnicity and body types. Despite this fact, the results also show some alternative discourses that could indicate a change in the brands' strategies to attract and retain consumer interest.