Advertising: The representations of women in advertising

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

There has been an increasingly more social audience online. There are more images of sexual and gender representation.

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

Women were expected to marry, have kids and be a housewife.

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

It led to the representation that women are decorative objects rather than people.

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

Laura Mulvey came up with this theory.The theory is that women are presented as sex objects for men to look at.

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

The "New Woman" has taught to be assertive, confident and powerful. Projecting many terms expected to be masculine.

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?

Women are seen more as semi logical in contrast the typical sexist representations. 

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

That men are dominant over women and they are not seen as a threat.

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

The women is represented through the male gaze idea but seems to embrace it. This shows a misinterpretation of femme fatale.


Media Magazine: Beach Bodies v Real Women (MM54)

Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature on Protein World's controversial 'Beach Bodies' marketing campaign in 2015. Read the feature and answer the questions below in the same blogpost as the questions above.

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

It was controversial because it portrays how every single women should be like and shows them in a sexualised manner. This campaign was mainly shown in Tube Stations.

2) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?

Dove shows showcases several "real" body types rather than an over exaggerated one. 

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

People can express their own views towards the campaigns online.

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

Relating to Van Zoonen, gender relies in the environment and cultural context it is represented in.

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?

Yes because women were portrayed as submissive and a weaker counterpart to men in advertising. The male model is normally placed in a position of authority over the woman. However, nowadays we can see advertising where women are presented as strong and independent which is a major contrast from the earlier years. The roles are almost being reversed in a way.