EOC Week 4: Role of Women in Contemporary Advertisements

    The differences in these advertisements are quite apparent. The roles of the women have changed immensely from the 30's in which the vintage Pep Cereal ad was published to the modern Nike ad.

    Women in the 30's were delegated to household matters. That is all they knew. Cleaning, raising the children, taking care of the husband, were all duties for the woman to attend to. The ad to the right depicts the woman being embraced by her loving husband while her husband says/thinks to himself that the harder she works around the house the "cuter" she is. Her secret? PEP cereal fortified with vitamins! This implies that her beauty solely relies on her status as a housewife. For women to look beautiful they must clean and cook and still have energy to greet her husband when he comes home.

    The Nike advertisement depicts a very athletic woman in underwear and a cut off tank top. She has boxing tape around her hand and is wearing Nike athletic sneakers. To the right of her are the words “My butt is big and round like the letter C and Ten Thousand lunges have made is rounder but not smaller and that’s just fine. It’s a space heater for my side of the bed It’s my ambassador for those who walk behind me It’s a border collie that herds skinny women away from the best deals at clothing sales. My butt is big and that’s just fine and those who might scorn it are invited to kiss it. Just do it. Nikewomen.com” http://bridalmusings.com/2011/03/the-best-nike-advert-yet-fun-frolics/. Women have obviously come a long way since the time of the vintage ad. We have a vast number of options to choose from in regards of what to do with our lives. Rather than stay at home and look “cute” for the husband, the model in the ad suggests women are fiercely strong and independent creatures who are more than merely how they look.

EOC Week 3: Tobacco Ads

1. Determine the scenario: What happens in this frame?

    There is a stylish young woman looking into the camera  with a cigarette in her hand. She is        wearing cold weather clothing and a fur coat. To the right of her are the words "You've come a long way, baby." and 2 packages of Virginia Slim cigarettes.

2. What is the setting? What are the conditions?
   The woman is set in front of a lavender colored backdrop so the focus is just on her and the cigarettes.
3. Who are the people or groups?
   The young woman is presumably a model who is supposed to represent the modern working woman of her time.
4. What is their point of view around this specific experience?
   The point of view is from a modern day woman's perspective
5. What are their goals?
   The brand is targeting women in the workfield who are independent and stylish. They are trying to appeal to them by engaging in the thought that a thoroughly modern beautiful woman should be smoking their cigarettes. Their cigarette is a part of the woman's revolution.
6. What are their assumptions? What are their perceptions?
   The brand and agency is assuming that women will want to end their long work day by unwinding with a Virginia Slim. They perceive women to adhear to a group mentality in that if one is smoking then all are. They then shall choose Virginia Slims as their cigarette of choice.
7. Are there conflicts? Is there cooperation?
   There is cooperation in the frame because the woman is portrayed as strong, stylish, confident, and at ease. There is no tension in the ad because they want to appeal to a woman's desire to establish herself in society.
8. What are the outcomes?
   The woman is pleased with herself and in the brand of cigarette she chose. She will appear more established and respected because of it. She will also go and tell her friends that they too should be smoking Virginia Slims.

Week 2 EOC: Questionable Ethics in Advertising

This advertisement, which looks like it is from the 50's-60's, is a prime example of questionable ethics in advertising. It is on shaky ground that an agency produce an ad or campain that depicts physical violence to anyone, much less a husband to a wife. Especially in that time frame it was very taboo to speak about any such matter. On the other hand, one can infer that there are sexual undertones from this. Ususally when a man beats a woman, they would not be hitting them on their bottom. This shows there might be some tongue and cheek sexual act reference in here. This still questionable even by today's standard.

This ad from Dolce & Gabbana is outright offensive. From the positions in which the men and woman are in, there is an implication of a "gang rape" which is about to happen. The 4 men are all in various stages of undress while the man in the center is pinning the woman's arms to the side of her. Why any agency would think up anything so offensive to women is beyond me. It is not sexy at all which is what the Italian design house Dolce & Gabbana is known for. I understand to catch the average person's attention it might take pushing the envelope or creating visually provacative, but this is highly unethical. Any depiction of a woman being pinned down with men surrounding her should be unacceptable for any periodical to publish. 

 



This billboard ad from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had ironically created a firestorm of questions when this was released as to its ethics in depicting an obese woman. The ad implies that she is the whale and in order for her to lose weight and look good in her bikini she should go vegetarian. PETA is no stranger to controversy regarding their ad campains. Their main focus is to be so controversial and shock people into listening to what they have to say. They believe very strongly in animal rights and this is how they express their beliefs. I do not think it is ethical to discriminate against overweight or obese people in any kind of advertisement for the sake of getting people's attention. It is no better than poking fun at a handicapped person or racial discrimination.

About Me

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” –Coco Chanel

    Fashion is exhilarating. It is constantly changing and we must change along with it or be left breathlessly behind. This idea of an industry that can affect millions is why I love fashion. From a single garment we can change the ideas of many and spark a movement. My love for fashion is as multifaceted as the industry itself. The art of design moves me. In a mere second one garment can illicit such a powerful response that I am moved to tears. It can horrify, mesmerize, stupefy, or delight.  It is as profound and important as any of the great artworks treasured today. I value the art of styling an outfit to express individual taste, as well. It takes talent to show the world who you are without uttering a single word. In as much as fashion makes me feel, it also makes me strive to be something. My diligent work ethic, gregarious personality, and keen sense of business are all needed to make it in the industry. It takes a sharp mind to turn a passion into a thriving business. One day I will move to New York and succeed in a field I love. I aspire to work closely with emerging designers to help them become “the next big thing” by marketing and selling their work to fashionistas around the globe. I will be the person who helps turn their vision into a reality. Fashion does more than simply clothe me, it inspires me to make my mark in this world.

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”  -Mark Twain

EOC Week 1: VW Lemon

   In a time where bigger was better and chrome gleamed, the advertising team behind Volkswagen Beetle dared to be different. Super-charged American-made muscle cars were all the rage and chrome was the look of choice for the middle class American. The advertising team of Doyle Dane Bernbach, who, it is interesting to note, were Jewish, was tasked with the difficulty of selling a German made car that looked nothing like Americans had seen before. This was especially difficult considering it was not too long ago that World War II had ended, vilifying Germany and anything German made. Hemmings Motor News contributing writer Ed Heys expounds on this idea best, “What came as a total shock to almost everyone was DDB's radical approach to their ads for Volkswagen. Their "Think small" ad campaign became an instant sensation with a generation anxious to break free from the status quo.” (http://www.hemmings.com/hmn/stories/2008/05/01/hmn_feature15.html). DDB was able to take the people’s perception of the Beetle and use it to their advantage. Yes, it was not much to look at, but it is a very well made car with great mileage per gallon. The ad seemed to echo out to the American conscious, “Look again, maybe what you see as ugly and odd isn’t that at all. It’s almost kind of…cute…”With that, DDB created one of the most effective ad campaigns of all time. “We pluck the lemons, you get the plums,” states the ad. (http://paintthepig.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/vw-lemon-ad.jpg?w=490&h=621). DDB also made people laugh. It played into the unconventionality of the car and reassured potential buys that it was a very well made car that could stand up to any Ford or Chevy. The humor in the ad campaigns drew the younger generation’s attention. Heys states that, “Their irreverent mocking of conventional wisdom struck a chord with a rebellious generation that complained about conspicuous consumption. Big was no longer better; instead, VW declared, 'Think small.'” (http://www.hemmings.com/hmn/stories/2008/05/01/hmn_feature15.html). The younger generation wanted to separate themselves from their parents and create their own identity and the Volkswagen Beetle helped them achieve that. DDB also changed the way agencies advertised products. Mike Ogden of Silicon Valley Business Journal explains, “Ads before it were either information-based and lacking in persuasion, more fantasy than reality, or reliant on the medium's ability to deliver repeated exposure.” (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/1999/11/22/smallb7.html?page=all). DDB tapped into the people’s psyche and evoked emotion in their ads. The people laughed, pondered, shed a tear while looking at one of their advertisements. It was from that moment on that people were sold products differently. They were also sold an experience and a story.