The first thing you need to know is that I am not a media hater. As a communications major I study TV, radio, and PR campaigns, and advertising (that is what my concentration is in). I just think that the media is extremely powerful and that power can be used for good or for bad.
In the world of advertising in regards to women....I think its power is used for bad. Really bad.
In today's world, companies need to make their products stand out. A lot of products on the market today are exactly the same: lipstick, toilet paper, paper towels, and mascara are just a few examples. But what makes the product Revlon foundation? Or Cover Girl mascara? Companies make their products different and unique. They are using product differentiation. But to create product differentiation, companies use branding. Branding is "a type of product made by a particular company under a particular name," and you as the costumer will KNOW what the company name on cue. Branding is what makes one company different from another. For example....
I would be willing to bet a million dollars that 99% of people reading this knew it was Mickey Mouse and the Walt Disney Company just from this one symbol. That's branding (and REALLY effective branding).
I personally have nothing against branding and advertising theories, and I really do enjoy learning about them. I also think branding is important for companies because to sell a product companies really do need to stand out. Disney is known for its movies, positive stories, dreams coming true, believing in ones self, and magic. That's positive. But I do have an issue with companies using sex appeal, insecurities, and embarrassment to sell their products.
Have you every noticed that in a lot of ads (TV, radio, magazines) they don't really talk about the product?
A lot of the time companies want you to buy a product, but they are selling you something else.
Charles Revson, the founder of Revlon, was quoted,
"In the factory we make cosmetics; in the drugstore we sell hope."
Right there. That's it. We buy products because we want to look like the girls selling them. We have "hope" that we will look like the girls in the advertisements, or get the attention from the handsome guy (sex appeal). You might be thinking to yourself, "I don't actually think I'll look like them!" But why else would we buy a particular product? We buy because we feel insecure. We buy make up because we don't want to be "ugly." (NO ONE is ugly, more on that a few posts down the line!) We buy certain cloths because we don't want to look bad, or be out of style. We buy whitening strips so our teeth won't be stained or yellow.
Let's take a look at at another...
These are two advertisements from Abercrombie & Fitch.....clothing stores... with people wearing no cloths. So what are they really selling?
We are being sold the definition of beauty. We are being sold the standard for beauty. But enough is enough. It's time we take a stand. The best most effective way to stand up against this is to be aware it is happening. The next time you want though the mall, or other shopping center, see if you can look past the immediate ad and see the next layer. You might be surprised by what you find.
What are your thoughts/feelings on today's post? Feel free to comment below!
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