This week we were asked to note similarities
and differences in our classmates blog posts compared to our own about advertisements. Instead of using an actual
advertisement for my blog, I used a video in which promoted the Woman’s Sports
foundation. This short video portrays a powerful message about how the media
promotes “image” as the most important aspect in female’s lives. As a result of
this, we see many young girls being influenced to keep up with the latest
fashion and makeup trends, rather than choosing to partake in sports. This is
one of many different advertisements which are directed to a certain age group
and gender. For the most part, my classmates also focus on gender based and/or
age based advertisements.
For example, Brandon Lewis found an
ad made by Reebok, which included three professional athletes working out in a
dark facility. He later explains, “Two things that society generalizes as
connections for males are pro athletes and sports/physical activity” http://brandonlewis94.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/what-the-hail/).
This advertisement reaches out to the male population primarily, by
incorporating famous male athletes working out together. This ad is essentially
trying to sell the Reebok brand, but I also believe that it tries to sell body
image, considering these athletes are all very muscular.
Another
example is Farah AlHalbouni’s advertisement she found trying to sell a perfume
by Justin Bieber. The ad consists of the following: a pretty teenage girl
laying in her bed holding the “key to Justin’s heart” as he walks towards her
room. Farah explains that, “The fragrance itself is
for females, and the company that decided to use Justin Bieber obviously knew
what they were doing since they can guarantee at least 1 million sales due to
the obsessive teenage girls who would want to have something Justin Bieber’s
face is on” (http://farahalhalbouni95.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/what-the-hail/).
This advertisement was directed toward a certain age group and gender, which
are teenage females. This was a very smart move by this perfume company,
considering there are millions of vulnerable teenagers that would desire this
product. Today we see many products being sold with celebrity’s faces on them
in order so sell.
Finally, Hayley Sawyer talks about the new kinder eggs that have
girl toys and boy toys inside of them now. She says that, “Now, they have put special
toys inside the Eggs based on what society feels a girl should play with, and
what a boy should play with” (http://hs12un.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/what-the-hail/).
It seems that
society now needs to be as gender specific as they can be. I remember when I
was young and got so happy to get any sort of toy in my kinder egg. Now it seems
like the company is taking it too far, as they are consuming small children by
their gender, in order for their product to sell better.
As an eighteen-year-old female in
her first year of university, I believe that some of these ads can represent my
demographic. Although I don’t always pay attention to the products that are
being advertised in certain ads, essentially I care about my image. This being
said however, I have a filter and know not to believe everything I see. Like I
explained in my initial post, I love to play sports, and won’t let the media persuade
me to discontinue playing these sports. I don’t believe that these
advertisements are always accurate, but for the most part it seems like most
products are being targeted to the right consumers. The media has the control
to influence certain age and gender groups, but I think we as humans have the
power to do one of three things: let the media totally control us, somewhat influence
us, or not have any power over us.
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