It is no secret that the media has always affected people in innumerable ways. It is also very interesting to note that this power enters the consumer’s psyche without him/her being aware of it. In this regard, advertising has a profound and lasting influence on the consumers. In this paper, I will analyze how advertisements have a potent effect on consumers in relation to gender within the greater picture of culture. I will analyze selected advertisements for this purpose and how they transmit messages in relation to gender, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes in very direct and unmistakable ways.
The first two ads (1.1 and 1.2) are for candy bars. The first ad (1.1) aimed at a male audience, has very specific ideas of desire. The message this ad sends to consumers is that Snickers makes a man more desirable. The image of the construction worker is one of virility and heightened masculinity. The candy bar ad directed at women (1.2) also sends a message of desire to the female segment of the consumers. The ad uses the color red as it is associated with lust and attraction. Zayer & Coleman mention that “Informants who talk the talk demonstrate awareness that advertising images may negatively affect both male and female audiences. However, the recognition that some gender portrayals may be problematic was largely due to strategic considerations rather than ethical concern or a sense of empathy for consumers” (Zayer & Coleman 269). In this regard, then, messages of desire and sexuality are hardly supported on ethical grounds, especially because the primary audience of candy bars is children.
The second set of ads (2.1 and 2.2) both cater to male audiences for two different products (vehicle and cigarettes). Both these ads have similar qualities in relation to the portrayal of men. Both men are dressed in suits and both men promote strength and attraction. In both ads, the product itself is hardly given much prominence. It is the targeted male consumer that is the focus of the ads. Goodrich states: “The research addresses a gap in the marketing literature by extending theories of hemispheric processing and mere-exposure to examine potential gender differences” (Goodrich 41). The potency of advertising on a very cerebral level is very apparent in both ads discussed. Cigarettes and the vehicles, therefore, are targeted at men who want to be attractive, confident, and sexy.
The third set of ads (3.1 and 3.2) are targeted at a male audience, but in different ways. The first ad has a well-dressed man as its main image. He is at the prime of youth. This ad caters to men who want to come across as mature and independent. The second ad on the other hand, has a female as its image. This ad clearly caters to men who want to come across as desirable to women. Even though the headline uses the word ‘beauty,’ the image supports the idea of a very specific kind of beauty: sexual. The two ads capitalize on two distinct attributes of maleness (confidence and sex appeal) to sell a similar product. Both these ads promote female subordination in their use of images. As Shao mentions in relation to his study, “Male practitioners in particular aligned themselves with traditional cultural beliefs that position women as subordinate” (Shao 340). In both ads, the male is the decision maker. He’s therefore, the one with the money and both ads appeal to men who want to come across as attractive to females in a sexual context. The subtle message is that existence of women is to cater to male sexual fantasies.
Cramphorn writes: “Different styles of advertising work best for women and men. Given the degree of overlap, one may conclude that men do not respond more negatively per se, but rather that men respond positively when the appropriate stimulus is presented” (Cramphorn 168). All ads referred to in this paper appeal to different genders in very specific ways. The creators of the ads appeal to identified market segments in very specific and calculated ways, especially, when presenting to the audience, “the appropriate stimulus.”
The last set of ads (4.1 and 4.2) caters to genders in a very subtle manner. The first ad (4.1) caters to convenience and ease of preparation. The main idea behind this ad is that men prefer foods that are easy to prepare and take only a few minutes. The second ad that caters to a female audience is more detailed and more concerned about the visual opulence of the dish. The assumption is that women are not simply led by convenience when preparing food and that they are willing to devote more time to food preparation. In a cultural context, the first ad (4.1) caters to an American male audience, and the second ad caters to a Chinese female audience. While cooking is predominantly a gender-free activity in the U.S., in a Chinese setting, it is emphatically a gendered chore.
The images in all ads considered in this paper are of utmost importance. They are catered to very specific gendered identities. The word, ‘pleasure,’ interestingly, refers to pleasures of different kinds: “Gender images in television commercials provide an especially intriguing field of study. The ads are carefully crafted bundles of images, frequently designed to associate the product with feelings of pleasure stemming from deep-seated fantasies and anxieties” (Craig 171). Pleasure, then, refers to many senses, and especially to sexual pleasure.
Works Cited
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Goodrich, Kendall. "THE GENDER GAP: Brain-Processing Differences Between the Sexes
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Shao, Yun. "Chinese advertising practitioners' conceptualisation of gender
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Zayer, Linda T., and Catherine A. Coleman. "Advertising Professionals’ Perceptions of the
Impact of Gender Portrayals on Men and Women: A Question of Ethics?" Journal of
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