Representation of Women in Advertising: Blog Tasks :)

Academic reading: A Critical Analysis of Progressive Depictions of Gender in Advertising

Read these extracts from an academic essay on gender in advertising by Reena Mistry

1) How does Mistry suggest advertising has changed since the mid-1990s?

Mistry suggests that advertising has changed since the mid-1990s as advertising has started increasing the use of images that purposely make the gender or sexual orientation of the subject ambiguous. There has also been an increase in the number of distinctly homosexual images that are far from the camp gay depictions that the media is used to 

2) What kinds of female stereotypes were found in advertising in the 1940s and 1950s?

In the 1940s and 1950s, some common female stereotypes found in advertising were women being guilt-tripped that there would be dangerous consequences to the home if they tried to pursue their own plans or careers- Betty Friedan suggests that this led to the 'feminine mystique'. The 'feminine mystique' is 'the highest value and the only real commitment for women lies in the fulfilment of their own femininity. It was presupposed that women would be purchasing domestic goods for the household, thus advertising was calculated to focus attention on their domestic role, reinforce home values and perpetuate the belief that success as a woman, wife and mother could be purchased for the price of a jar of cold cream, a bottle of cough syrup, of a packet of instant cake-mix'

3) How did the increasing influence of clothes and make-up change representations of women in advertising?

The increasing influence of clothing and make-up has changed the representation of women in advertising by allowing them to be seen as decorative objects. The example of perfume adverts could be used because they portrayed women to be the 'fair maiden' that is associated with pure things 

4) Which theorist came up with the idea of the 'male gaze' and what does it refer to?

Laura Mulvey came up with the idea of the 'male gaze'- she stated that the media has been created for the benefit and pleasure of men so women have been presented in a way that benefits men. This links to the idea that "sex sells" so women must be sexualised in the media in order for the product to sell successfully

5) How did the representation of women change in the 1970s?

Representation of women changed in the 1970s because there was a rise in distinct images that were labelled as the 'New Woman' who were seen as representative of the 'changing reality of women's social position and of the influence of the women's movement'. The 'New Woman' was intended to be 'independent, confident and assertive, finding satisfaction in the world of work and recreation, seeking excitement, adventure and fulfilment' 

6) Why does van Zoonen suggest the 'new' representations of women in the 1970s and 1980s were only marginally different from the sexist representations of earlier years?

Van Zoonen suggests that the 'new' representations of women in the 1970s and 1980s were only marginally different from the sexist representations earlier years because she presents the idea that the New Woman 'only departs marginally from her older, more traditional sisters'. In the advert for 'Jenni Barnes Working Style', van Zoonen points out that: 'a woman should look forward to dressing for the office. Having a job is seen merely to provide another happy occasion for women to dress up and present themselves. Indeed, a woman is portrayed stepping confidently towards the camera in an office environment observed by a male colleague from behind but she is not portrayed actually working' 

7) What does Barthel suggest regarding advertising and male power?

Barthel suggests that 'today's young women can successfully storm the bastions of male power... without threatening their male counterparts providing we can reassure them that, underneath the suit, we are still 'all woman', that 'no serious gender defection has occurred''

8) What does Richard Dyer suggest about the 'femme fatale' representation of women in adverts such as Christian Dior make-up?

Richard Dyer suggests that the 'femme fatale' representation of women in adverts such as Christian Dior make-up are misrepresentations of women's liberation by saying: 'agencies trying to accommodate new [feminist] attitudes in their campaigns, often miss the point and equate "liberation" with a type of aggressive sexuality and a very unliberated coy sexiness'. This creates a woman who continues to construct herself as a spectacle and presents her as a willing co-conspirator of men's sexual advances while believing that she is 'liberated' in doing so

Media Magazine: Beach Bodies v Real Women (MM54)

Read the feature on Protein World's controversial 'Beach Bodies' marketing campaign in 2015

1) What was the Protein World 'Beach Bodies' campaign and why was it controversial?

The Protein World 'Beach Bodies' campaign was launched in the Spring of 2015 on the London Underground (perhaps as an attempt to attract a female audience that is likely to use the London Underground) in order to promote their product. On the advert, we can see a tanned, blonde woman that is showing her full body to promote this product. However, this advert was controversial because some audiences felt ashamed of their own figures due to seeing the model's body and setting that as the beauty standard- this caused some women to believe that they needed slimming supplements to make their body look like the model's body. Although the advert was aimed for the 'male gaze' but the message was undeniably designed for women 

2) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?

The Dove Real Beauty Campaign was one of the most successful campaigns in the digital age as it features real women with real bodies of all races and ages- this campaign out women in charge of the advertisement to decide what was seen as beautiful in order to attempt to create a world where beauty is a source of confidence and not anxiety

3) How has social media changed the way audiences can interact with advertising campaigns? 

Social media has changed the way audiences can interact with advertising campaigns because audiences now have the option to boycott products if they deem it appropriate to do so. Social media has allowed audiences to voice their disapproval of certain messages on a bigger scale than was possible before social media. In response to the 'Beach Body Ready' advert, a change.org petition was made and signed by 71,000 people urging the ASA to take the adverts down- some protesters even responded visually by posing next to the advert in their own bikinis in order to offer a more realistic depiction of women’s bodies

4) How can we apply van Zoonen's feminist theory and Stuart Hall's reception theory to these case studies?

We can apply van Zoonen's feminist theory to the 'Beach Body Ready' Protein World advert as we can see the woman in the advert being objectified into a spectacle rather than a women- we are positioned to form an opinion of her based off her appearance rather than anything else. We can also see that this model reinforces the Western beauty ideals of being white, slim, young and having blonde hair

5) Through studying the social and historical context of women in advertising, do you think representations of women in advertising have changed in the last 60 years?

I believe that the representation of women in advertising has changed in the last 60 years but not in a positive way- the representation has gone from women being inferior to men to women gaining more dominance but only through the use of their bodies and this has built up a negative representation of women over the years