Advertisements are usually a key reflection of our society and how different gender roles are viewed. In this paper, we shall analyze three advertisements in relation to how they display gender roles.
The Cascade floor cleaner advert shows a woman standing happily with a mop. The advertiser knew that when it comes to cleanliness, women are sensitive to it compared to men. The product will therefore sell, if a woman is used for its advertisement. Cleaning has been viewed to be a role associated with the female gender. There is also the issue of a modern woman that has been displayed in the advert, which proves the perfect target consumers of the product. The woman appears comfortable doing her cleaning considering that she is using the long mop that will not require her to bend. The purple theme color and a wooden floor also reveal the royalty associated with the product and the fact that it is suitable for such forms of cleaning.
The second advert of Dolce & Garbana shows a group of four men surrounding one woman. This reveals the insignificant aspect of women in the society considering that a woman has been pinned down. As one man pins her down, the other men are watching and not moved by the action. This implies that we are living in a society where abuse against women is prevalent. The other men seem to be supporting such violence and dominance, that is why they cannot raise their voice or hand to defend them. In the advert, the woman is half-naked, therefore, exposing her lean body to the men around. Even though other men are also without their tops, the first thing a person will notice is their masculinity rather than their naked bodies. This also means that a man’s naked body is a symbol of masculinity to the society while the naked body of a woman is a symbol of shame and disgrace.
The third advisement shows a picture of small girls with baking toys trying to bake some cakes. The amazing thing about the advert is that it is directed to the small girls but through their mothers who appear to be the main target. The twist is to ensure that, the advert fits the young girls and their mothers, to shows the role that is associated with women. The society expects that as the young girls grow up, they should be endowed with the cooking skills. Such skills should therefore start being implanted in them at a young age. The best way to achieve this is to buy them toys in terms of baking tools so that they are not intimidated by the responsibility but at the same time get acquainted with the equipments. The theme colour that has been used for the advertisement is mainly to attract people of the feminine gender considering the attraction they have towards the colour.
These advertisements teach us a lot about how gender is viewed and the most appropriate way through which man and women need to conduct themselves. For instance, women are expected to be second to men. This is because they have the physical and mental attributes that demand respect from women. Women on the other hand, are supposed to appreciate their roles and positions and not compete with the men. The adverts reveal that the women are comfortable and happy carrying out their cleaning and cooking roles. This implies that these are the responsibilities they were born to perform, and they should therefore, not be stressed going about them.
Reference list
Cascade floor cleaner advert
Dolce & Garbana advert
Easy bake, mother’s day advert
