Advertisment

Gender Stereotype Advertisements

On the outside, this ad looks like a simple men's soap advertisement, however, when you really look into it, it is much more than that. Just to start, it is a statement on gender roles and the objectification of women. While the product of this advertisement is clearly targeting a male audience, as it explicitly states "FOR MEN" right at the top directly under the brand name. Putting the direction that this product is for men right underneath the large brand name of Nivea is important because the brand if one of the first aspects of the advertisement that is noticed, and brand name is important for the companies image and publicity, which can greatly effect the companies sales. the for men is not only places to catch the eye but also to make the product notably inclusive to men. Other than the clear mention of what the product is, does, and audience, it creates an image of appeal of women to the men who use this product. The advertisement does this in a way that objectifies women in more than one, easy-to-overlook way. The background and the main viewpoint of this advertisement is the woman clinging to the man transfixed on the product. The use of the women's gaze on the product shows her interest in the product. The women's focus and placement in the ad make her more of an object than a real person. The use of this is to convince the audience that they will be enticing and more interesting to women if they use the product. The very large text stating "GIRL NOT INCLUDED" adds more to the objectification of women, with the statement meaning that women are an object to acquire and not an equal of the man. Stating that the women is not included in the purchase of the product entertains the idea that a women is a 'thing' and can be sold to anyone, but simply is sold separately to this product. This connects to the statement at the bottom that this advertisement is "What Men Want". This statement is not only concerning the product but also the women, again presenting her as an object like the soap. The objectification of women in this ad is used to target men because the ad was designed not for you to think about, but view directly. Where the female audience is meant to disregard it, men are meant to see it and what the product and all the ad promises comes with it. The advertisement was most likely a western advertisement as it displays a Caucasian couple in a more liberal way. Overall, this advertisement is extremely stereotyped to possessive, straight, western men.