These three ads for yogurt ran in Brazil. They are supposed to inspire revulsion. Their tagline is:
“Forget about it. Men’s preference will never change. Fit Light Yogurt.”
Many have commented that these women look hot, not repulsive. So the images might be useful for inspiring a discussion about polysemy and the fact that advertisers can’t control how their images are perceived.
Alternatively, they might work differently in Brazil than the U.S. Any thoughts?
Copyranter has pointed me to a recent spate of ads for homes, apartments, and condos that use the idea of accessible women, or otherwise use sexuality, to sell their product.
Lindsey Dale, at Nobody, sent along this additional example:
Also in using women’s sexual availability to sell real estate.
Here we have buying bottled water–a product criticized for its environmental impacts–portrayed as a form of humanitarianism. Also, in smaller text the ad sneaks in a plug for a movie: “Ethos is a proud supporter of ‘Running the Sahara.’ In theaters this spring.” I presume Matt Damon stars in it. Why can’t celebrities just donate their own money instead of trying to get us to buy something expensive just so a tiny bit of it goes to a charity?
And in the tiniest print down at the bottom you learn that 5 cents from every purchase is donated to the Ethos Water Fund. The Impulsive Buy says Ethos costs $1.85 a bottle (I found that price listed elsewhere as well). Also, Ethos is owned by Starbucks.
You might want to pair this image with this, this, and this.
Due to the consolidation of food distributors, when we think we’re making socially and environmentally responsible food choices, we are often just still just lining the pockets of the big 30. See chart below, click to enlarge:
Found at lawgeek.
The fact that botox can be marketed with the phrase “freedom of expression” testifies to fact that there is no need for advertising to include any truth whatsoever.
Text:
Don’t hold back! Express it all! Express yourself by asking your
doctor about BOTOX Cosmetic. Millions of women already have.
This is a doll Mattel put out as part of the Barbie line a few years ago. Her name is Midge. Apparently she is Barbie’s long-time friend. If you notice, Midge is pregnant. Her belly opened up and there was a baby inside. The line Midge is part of is called Happy Family.
This is Alan, Midge’s husband, and Ryan, their son. Midge and Alan were married in 1991, according to Mattel.
This is the whole Happy Family line–Alan and Ryan, Midge and baby, and grandparents.
The pregnant Midge doll was quickly pulled from the market because of protests that Midge might be interpreted as a single mother. Mattel argued that Midge and Alan had been married for years, but conservative groups argued that since she was sold separately, girls could get the wrong message and think she wasn’t married.Thus far in American history, the fact that men have escaped an onslaught of advertising for beauty products is a triumph of gender ideology over capitalism. Companies, after all, could double their market if they could convince men that they, too, were unsightly without make-up.
If a company were to try to market make-up and beauty regimes to men, however, their smartest move might be to masculinize make-up. And, this is, indeed, what some companies are doing. Here are some products. Their design is interesting, but their names are the most fun. Some of them are subtle, others not so much.
Studio Five Sport and Sun Tone Enhancer (or, as the ladies say, blush):
MensGroom Time Fighter (we call it anti-aging cream):
Male Species Power Face Mask (when you need a power face to go with your power tie):
4VOO Distinct Man Confidence Corrector (because you’re going to need confidence when you go on your mission):
Ener-C After Shave Mission Balm (Is the shave itself a mission or are you going on a mission after you shave? And, is it impossible?):
Ken Men Battle Scars Healing Anti-Inflammatory Repair Cream (I guess you need this post mission):
Studio 5ive Double Stroke Cream Mascara (get it?):
Ken Men Cream Me Face Base (oh come on!):
Ken Men Blo-Job Bronzing Powder (you’ve got to be kidding!):
Also interesting is the Aveda marketing for hair and skin products aimed at men.
The products are called Pure-formance:
Notice the scruffiness of the men in the images, the dark blue-grey-black colors, and the use of nature. Below you can see the design of the products: brown, orange, grey, and sage colors with angular shapes (on a blue background, of course).
The first two paragraphs of text:
It’s a biological fact: men are different. Their scalps are thicker than women’s and on average produce twice the level of oil. This can make men more prone to sensitivity, dryness, itchiness, irritation and redness.
The Aveda Men collection is tailored to men’s essential need for high-performance scalp and hair management that’s easy to use.
So men are different than women. This is simply biology. They are more: “thicker” and “twice.” And, of course, no matter what it is, it must be “high-performance.
NEW! Mordicai points us to Man Glaze:
NEW! (Jan. ’10): David B. let us know about On the Job, a line of lotions targeting men. The line includes hand lotion, cleaner, and “armor,” which isn’t lotion, it’s a polymer glove.
NEW! (Feb. ’10): Andrea let us know about dznuts, a “high viscosity chamois cream” marketed to men as a way to minimize chafing while riding a bike:
Ladies, you can buy a shirt that designates you as an Official Applicator:
What Andrea found interesting is that, despite the name and logo, the product isn’t actually for a guy’s testicles at all. As the product description page says, it’s to prevent saddle sores in the perineal area…something both men and women have, as it turns out. But the creator apparently thinks the “for men only” marketing scheme–in which women aren’t riding bikes, they’re taking care of men who do–will be highly effective, because it costs twice as much as similar, but non-gendered, products.
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
This quick video presents an American and a Swedish military recruitment commercial back-to-back.
Our member blogger, Wendy, who is writing her dissertation on the military, had this to say:
The most striking difference between these ads to me is what these commercials choose to show and what they don’t show to recruit new members.
The Marines’ commercial focuses on the duty, bravery, glory, honor aspects of service. And this is entirely focused inward– toward the Marines and the country’s goals (and in that order– Marines’ loyalties are to “unit, Corps, God and country” in that order). Where is the “other” in this commercial (that is such a part of the Sweden commercial)? Who is the “for honor” for? Who is the “for courage” for? It seems implicitly to be to the corps.
This is right in line with most Marine discourse. All of their recruitment info is the same– the focus is on the corps, and on the highly specialized ways Marines serve. As a popular Marine slogan says “The USMC: When it absolutely, positively must be destroyed overnight.”
And the Swedish commercial is even more fascinating. There is no focus on the actual members of the Nordic Battlegroup. Instead it is all about everyday people– both in Sweden and in countries experiencing conflict. The focus is on the privilege of living in a country not at war (”everybody’s everyday is not like ours”).
The images of war in this commercial are disturbing– hectic, scary and out of control. This is the exact opposite of the Marine commercial where everything is ordered and organized and machines (helicopters, guns) are shown as extension of this order and control– instead of in a context of chaos. There’s a HUGE disconnect between the weapons shown and what they actually DO during war.
War in all its chaos is present in the Swedish commercial, and absent from the Marines commercial. That in and of itself is interesting.
Via Spiked Humor
Thanks to Julie C. for this tip!
