Advertising: The representation of women in advertising

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

Since the mid-1990s, advertising has employed images in which the gender and sexual orientation of the subjects are ambiguous. Also, there is an increased number of homosexual images being shown. This is all a device used to satisfy the masses.

2) What kinds of female stereotypes were found in advertising in the 1940s and 1950s?
The stereotype that was commonly found in advertising was that women had to keep the house clean, take care of the husband and raise the children.

3) How did the increasing influence of clothes and make-up change representations of women in advertising?
It led to the idea that the representation of women should be as decorative (sex) objects.

4) Which theorist came up with the idea of the 'male gaze' and what does it refer to?
Laura Mulvey → The male gaze suggests that images of women are made to be looked at (sexually) by men.

5) How did the representation of women change in the 1970s?
In the 1970s, women were presented in advertising as being more "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 year?
The role of women in advertisement appears to be progressive. Women in adverts are happy to 'dress up and present themselves' in, for example, an office, however they are not shown to be doing any work.

7) What does Barthel suggest regarding advertising and male power?
Barthel suggests that no matter how hard women try to make themselves equal to men, men will still always be as powerful as they always were (stronger than women).

8) What does Richard Dyer suggest about the 'femme fatale' representation of women in adverts such as Christian Dior make-up?
Advertisements try to portray new attitudes in their campaigns but often they "miss the point and equate 'liberation' with a type of aggressive sexuality and a very liberated coy sexiness".

Media Magazine: Beach Bodies vs Real Women (MM54)
1) What was the Protein World 'Beach Bodies' campaign?
Launched in Spring 2015 on London Underground, the PR team were clearly courting the female market (19-30) into looking their best for the beach this summer. The advert – featuring a tanned, blonde female in a full-frontal pose – generated so much controversy that in July 2015 the UK’s Advertising Standards.

2) Why was it controversial?
The female was blonde and skinny. It portrayed one type of figure which sent out a message: if you don't look like this, then you aren't beach body ready.

3) What did the adverts suggest to audiences?
Are you thin enough to hit the beach?

4) How did some audiences react?
> A change.org petition signed by 71,000 urged the ASA to take the adverts down.
> Some protesters responded visually by posing next to the advert in their bikinis, to offer a more realistic depiction of women’s bodies. 

5) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?
The Dove Real Beauty campaign features real women with real bodies of all races and ages. Dove created an interactive Ad Makeover campaign that put women in charge of the advertisements, where they themselves would choose what they saw as beautiful, not the advertisers. The campaign’s mission is to create a world where beauty is a source of confidence and not anxiety.

6) How has social media changed the way audiences can interact with advertising campaigns?
People can share their ideas and help advertisements more accurate.
7) How can we apply van Zoonen's feminist theory and Stuart Hall's reception theory to these case studies?
> Van Zoonen → the 'Protein World' advert was socio-cultural as it led to many consumers questioning the reality of the advert as well as the message being said to the consumers and if it must be questioned.
> Stuart Hall → different audiences interpret the 'Protein World' advert in different ways and come up with different responses. 

8) 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?
Historically, women were usually sexualised for the male gaze in adverts. The representation of women has revolutionised over the years to an extent.