Mediatization of Motherhood

Audiovisual Discourses of Affection and Responsibility in Danoninho Commercials

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15847/OBS20262930

Keywords:

Advertising, motherhood, nutrition, food, consumption

Abstract

Children’s food choices are shaped by multiple voices, not always congruent, that mobilize scientific, emotional, and moral discourses, often mediated by advertising. This article examines Danoninho commercials to analyze how advertising constructs representations of motherhood. Drawing on Television Analysis, it identifies audiovisual elements that position the mother as a mediator between the child’s desire and the responsibility for their health. The analysis shows that the product is framed as a solution capable of addressing both demands. To achieve this, questionable health claims are mobilized through the appropriation of scientific discourse and presented as responses to parental anxieties, particularly maternal ones. The commercials also promote a narrow and homogeneous model of family life that contrasts with Brazilian social realities.

Author Biographies

Adriana Fogel, University of Porto

Adriana Fogel holds a PhD in Digital Media from the University of Porto, a master’s degree in Education from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), an MBA in Marketing from FGV, and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences (Advertising) from UFRJ. Her doctoral project, Food Wide Web: A Food and Media Literacy Program Aimed at Adolescents, was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and completed in October 2025. She has more than ten years of professional experience in advertising and marketing, having worked for companies in Brazil. Her recent publications include articles in peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journals in the fields of communication and health.

Juliana Alcantara, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Juliana Alcantara is a visiting research fellow in the Media & Communication Department at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR). PhD in Communication Sciences from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Coimbra (FLUC) and a master’s degree in Journalism and Communication from the same institution. As a media professional, Alcantara has more than ten years of experience as a public relations professional and journalist in the Brazilian news media. Her latest publications include articles in Journalism, Journalism Practice, and the International Journal of Communication.

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Published

2026-11-13

How to Cite

Fogel, A., & Alcantara, J. (2026). Mediatization of Motherhood: Audiovisual Discourses of Affection and Responsibility in Danoninho Commercials. Observatorio (OBS*). https://doi.org/10.15847/OBS20262930

Issue

2026: Early Access

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Adriana Fogel, Juliana Alcantara

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This is an Open Acess article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, sharing and adaptation, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author and the journal.