«Happy Families»

Toothpaste smiles, bright eyes, happy faces: when representing families, the poster has always played on people’s desire to be part of an ideal community. This yearning is visualized in a variety of ways. In the early poster, the father figure is usually the protector, while the mother is in charge of physical well-being and the children simply behave. Clear-cut values and gender roles are conveyed, with family life depicted as a conflict-free zone. Smiling faces still beam out at us from posters today, but Mom and Dad are on more equal terms, exchanging glances and sometimes also roles. Children are no longer are mere extras, and even conflicts are sometimes allowed to enter the picture.