Gender bias favors boys over girls in ads.
Advertisers favor using boys, even in commercials where gender neutral products are featured.
One of the most powerful teachers is the media, especially television. Television provides children with a wealth of opportunity to observe social behaviors and gender roles. For example, how boys behave, how girls behave, what toys to play with, what to wear, games to play, what to eat, etc. In studies of preschool children up to age 4 there was little regard on the child's part as to the gender of the child in the advertising. Once children are settled into awareness of their own gender, they are more likely to identify with the model in the commercial and copy behaviors.