Women in advertisements

Dolce & Gabbana: the ad which kicked off a storm of controversy. Stefano Gabbana, partner in Dolce & Gabbana indicated that the image does not represent gang rape or violence, but rather an erotic dream or sexual game (Brand Week, 2007). Read more here .

image source: Google Images (D&G)

The stereotype against women creates a world where no one is ugly, overweight, poor, struggling or disabled. Women in advertisements are often made to look as close to perfect as possible – most of the time, they are young, tall, long-legged and have perfect skin with no wrinkles.

With a portrayal of such, women are used as sexual objects to sell and promote products and brand names – a phenomenon which is hardly new. The projection of women in advertisements are constantly stretched to be seen as sexual objects, often times placed in a salient position – as an element of the layout that attract the reader’s attention (Kress and van Leeuwen 1998, p.188). The placement of the visual would also be relatively large in size, and often placed against a contrasting tonal color to place emphasis on its saliency (Kress and van Leeuwen 1998, p. 188).

The copy 'wash me' is what makes sense out of the advertisement. Without it, the visual might just be misconstrued as nothing more than a pornographic image.

image source: Ads of the World

The visual of women would usually be accompanied with text, also known as a copy as the readers’ imagination depends fully on the synthesis of two modes rather than on the interpretation of one or the other (Schriver 1997, p.423). The interaction between the visual and copy creates dynamic differences in meaning that is more interesting compared to having either meaning alone.

Paull, the director of a prominent women’s high tech networking group GraceNet said that many advertisements often portrays women as sex objects, even when they have nothing to do with the products they’re selling (Olsen S, 2001).

The connection between the portrayal of women and the products for sale in advertisements relates to the social semiotics of individuals. Social semiotics is basically how people make meaning according to the different culture, community and social grouping (Schirato and Yell 1996, p.43). What constitutes as a negative depiction of women in advertisements can be seen by some as an artistic and creative way to relate products with a lifestyle manner which promotes sensuality and sexuality.

This basically boils down to the context of culture of attitudes, values and shared experiences of people where by there is a cultural-specific expectation of ways things should be like (Paltridge B 2000, p.121).

Sex sells: CK One, for both men and women draws emphasis on themes such as passion, attraction and desirability.

image source: Calvin Klein CK One Ads

One thing is certain: the concept of sex sells. This is especially true with fragrance marketers who aim to play to people’s fantasies. A study in 1970 conducted by marketing analyst Suzanne Grayson revealed that sex was the central positioning strategy for 49 per cent of the fragrances on the market (Reichert T, 2003). In Grayson’s analysis, sexual themes ranged from raw sex to romance with the fragrance positioned as an aphrodisiac – an aromatic potion in which it evokes intimate feelings or provoke behavioral expressions of those feelings (Reichert T, 2003).

To see, to feel and eventually to want – is what advertisements aim do to its audiences. Every advertisement puts forth an element of attraction which inevitably creates desirability in audiences to want to own a certain product. As much as it is deemed to be negative, the portrayal of women as sexual objects in advertisements has been going on for a very long time and without a method of prevention, it could continue for a longer period of time in the future.

Reference:
Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 1998, ‘Chapter 7: Front pages: (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout’, in Bell, A & Garret, P (eds) 1998, Approaches to media discourse, Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 186-219.

O’Loughlin S 2007, Dolce & Gabbana Pulls Controversial Ad, Brand Week, viewed 30 October 2007, <http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/apparelretail/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003554614>

Olsen S 2001, High-tech Women Fight Sex Driven Ads, CNET News.com, viewed 30 October 2007, <http://www.news.com/High-tech-women-fight-sex-driven-ads/2100-1023_3-253659.html?tag=item>

Paltridge B 2000, Making Sense of Discourse Analysis, Antipodean Educational Enterprises, Gold Coast.

Reichert T 2003, The Erotic History of Advertising Aromatic Aphrodisiacs: Fragrance, Advertising Educational Foundation, viewed 30 October 2007, <http://www.aef.com/on_campus/classroom/book_excerpts/data/2476>

Schrirato, T & Yell, S 1996, Chapter 1: Communication as social practice, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, Australia.

Schriver, KA 1997, Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Texts for Readers, Wiley Computer Pub, New York.