Sex Roles and Gender in Advertising

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Introduction 3 Case Studies 7 Communication Strategy 13 Conclusion 17 References 19 bibliography 20 Appendix 22

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Own Image, 2013

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Advertising is omnipresent in our daily lives. Each day, we are exposed to thousands of visual persuasive messages, constantly bringing us to feel, believe, act, buy and change our behavior. Whether online or offline, we lack the ability to process all the information we are constantly exposed to. However, many of the visual messages have been constructed to subconsciously affect our opinions and behaviors surrounding social, cultural and global issues (Andrews and Leeuwen et al., 2013, p. 4). At the level of basic social categories, gender operates more dualistically than class, race, or ethnicity. Our culture has only two sex categories, and every person is permanently assigned to one or the other with very few attempts to switch. In every situation each individual displays characteristics associated with one or the other of the two gender categories; consequently the media brands draw on these differences, resulting in consumers feeling somewhat obliged to act in a certain way (Thorne and McCormack et al., 1985, p. 190). From the stereotypical ‘housewife’ featured in the 1960’s Oxo ‘Mother Knows Best’ campaigns to the provocation of teenagers and young women in brand advertising such as American Apparel’s sexual aesthetic; clearly in our appearance and sexobsessive society, gender roles are often unfairly stereotyped as a tool of hidden persuasion. Thus, this factor needs to change direction in order to gain complete gender equality on a global level.

American Apparel Gay OK; 2011

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‘social commentators could argue that we purposely objectify ourselves as a means of expressing our empowerment over the opposite sex’

In terms of shaping the future of online and offline advertising, we must consider consumer’s reactive behavior to various subliminal messages. According to Andrew Lewis, those in the media industry could suffer from the ‘curse of knowledge’, and consequently it is vital to understand our everyday consumer in order to convey the correct message through a strong communication strategy. Looking into behavior change theories in relation to this, Bandura’s social cognitive theory is one of the most influential and widely celebrated theories in the field of social psychology (Chen, 2014) . Thus, its influence is very much embedded into communication and media effects. Bandura suggests that individuals are engaged in their own development and that they are able to exercise a measure of control over their thoughts, feelings and actions; it proposes that behavior change is highly affected by environmental influences and attributes of the behavior itself. When looking at this particular theory, it is understood that advertising and the media is an important source of communication to increase observational learning and the audience’s self-efficacy to perform certain behaviors. Brands should sought to identify ways in which they can support social issues that their consumer cares about and contribute to altering social perceptions, such as gender ideologies (Lewis, 2014: Online).

Despite a significant growth in respect for women since the ‘Flapper Girl’ appeared in the early 20th Century, the widespread sexual objectification of young women in film, music, fashion and art is subsequently mirrored in many brand’s advertising campaigns, consequently impacting young adolescents’ views on sex and gender roles as a whole. However, it is often left more silent that males are also objectified and stereotyped across all media platforms. The dual objectification of men and women has significantly increased in recent years, with advertisers fusing the values associated with consumerism through the male and female human form (Chen, 2014). On the other hand, social commentators could argue that we purposely objectify ourselves as a means of expressing our empowerment over the opposite sex.

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Axe ‘Wash Me’; 2005


‘biology is no less a cultural construct than gender socialization into masculinity and femininity’

Cynthia Carter’s book ‘From Sex Roles to Social Construction and Beyond’ discusses how many gender researchers in the 1960s distinguished between the notion of sex, defined as biological differences between male and female, and ‘sex roles’, referring to certain characteristics attributed to each gender as a social construction. The degree of social asymmetry upon notions of gender and sexuality is variable between different cultures; however previous studies of sex roles have emphasised the assumption that we are predominantly natural objects rather than cultural constructions, a view that is somewhat emitted through many brand advertisements today (Ortner and Whitehead, 1981, p. 1). It could be said that since the 1970s, the difference between biological and social notions of sexuality has become increasingly difficult to understand.

‘Grace Jones, Nightclubbing; 1981’ However, with the rise of androgynous and transgender advertising, some may question the need for the distinction between sex and gender, as ‘biology is no less a cultural construct than gender socialization into masculinity and femininity’. Although often considered a controversial trend, androgynous images no longer receive the widespread shock that surrounded previous gender challenging icons such as David Bowie and the ‘New Romantics’. Taking into consideration the hype during the 1980s, it epitomizes the unfamiliarity with the blurring of gender roles in past decades. Although it is much less ‘shocking’ to view androgyny and transgender in today’s media, the gender stereotypes constructed to differentiate between the sexes have resulted in a narrow range of biological differences, and consequently objectification and sexualization ‘David Bowie Aladdin Sane; 1973” of each gender is still prominent.

‘Givenchy campaign shot by Mert & Marcus; 2010’

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91% 9%

According to the 2013 Cone Communications/Echo Global CSR report, globally, 91% of people are likely to switch brands if another of similar price and quality supports a cause that they can understand on a personal level (Contagious Magazine).

In this day and age, the context in which advertisers reach people in is almost as important as what they say (AdWeek, 2013: Online). According to the 2013 Cone Communications/Echo Global CSR report, globally, 91% of people are likely to switch brands if another of similar price and quality supports a cause that they can understand on a personal level (Most Contagious; Senay, 2013, p. 31) Therefore, the importance of correctly relating an advertising campaign to external sources and pre-existing ideas is somewhat crucial. Judith Butler’s ‘Gender Trouble’ discusses the reality that although unable to determine our sex at birth, we adapt ourselves to external cultural and social surroundings to develop the gender role and personality we desire. Often, our own intention of behavior change is built on a continuum of awareness, but it is important to remember that the media will always play a significant role in shaping our human progress (Bezirgan, 2013, p 25). Past advertisements have not been solely to blame for oppressive gender ideologies, instead the social perceptions of sex and identity channeled through platforms such as music and art have filtered through into communication strategies and branding.

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m iu m i u ax e pe t a goldieb l o x

Miu Miu Resort SS14 Campaign; 2014

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Axe Young vs Mature still, Lowe & Partners; 2013

Handout, PETA; 2010

GoldieBlox; 2013

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Miu Miu Resort SS14 Campaign; 2014; Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin

Drawing from external representations of masculine and feminine sexuality is demonstrative of Miu Miu’s 2014 Resort campaign; which clearly cites Abdellatif Kechiche’s controversial yet critically acclaimed ‘Blue is the Warmest Colour’. The print advertisements feature the lead actresses in the lesbian love story: Léa Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos. A Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, the film generated widespread controversy in 2013, but ironically the exploration of a lesbian relationship is somewhat incidental. Grazia’s Rebecca Nicholson addressed the fact the media have overshadowed the “realness” of true love with the explicit sex scenes: ‘it speaks volumes about our collective maturity that this has become the focus of discussion’ acknowledging that our society consistently concentrates on sex within the media. Miu Miu taps into lesbian chic by conveying the pair’s ‘candid chemistry’, with "the background wall in baby pink and girlish styling of the collection contrast with the actresses’ seductive presence." (TheFashionSpot: Online). However, the campaign images are not hypersexualised compared to those of American Apparel, for example.

Blue is the Warmest Colour; 2013

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a x e American male grooming brand Axe, known as Lynx in the UK, is known for its use of seduction as a primary tool in relation to the success of the brand’s advertising campaigns. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood previously claimed that The ‘Axe Effect’ ‘epitomizes the sexist and degrading marketing that can undermine girls’ healthy development’. The advertisements feature females that are irresistibly drawn to a male that has deliberately sprayed himself with the Axe deodorant, aiming to boost the confidence levels of the male consumer. However, the campaigns, which are primarily aimed at 18 to 24 year olds, still convey a element of male dominance and suggests to women that they should appear beautiful to impress other men (Zelinger, 2013).

‘ W H A T A G E D O Y O U F A N C Y T O D A Y ? ’

With previous campaigns featuring sexually promiscuous tag-lines including ‘The cleaner you are, the dirtier you get’ and ‘Spray more. Get more’, the brand often supports the idea that there is a tendency for the view of women to be refracted through different modes of attachment to men (Ortner and Whitehead, 1981, p. 8). Lowe and Partner’s 2013 campaign focused on the young woman versus the mature woman with the message ‘What age do you fancy today?’. In terms of digital technology, the advertisement is extremely effective; it uses 3D stereoscopic cinema technology to create two stories: one for the younger woman and one for the mature woman. Both are shown simultaneously in two different colours, allowing the audience to choose which story to follow simply by closing one eye. Although the campaign directly perpetuates the idea that men should be able to choose to have whichever women they desire, the intelligent use of stereoscopic technology could inspire other brands to do something similar in order to gain costeffective viral potential. With the recent broadcast television viewers decline, the viral potential for advertising on websites such as Youtube is crucial. Youtube reaches more adults aged 18 – 34 than any cable network in the U.S, and therefore brands such as Axe are able to reach a more widespread audience through utilizing technological platforms (Cooper and Cooper, 2013).

Axe Young vs Mature still, Lowe & Partners; 2013

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Not all brands solely portray females as sexual predators, however. For example, in association with World Vegan Day 2012, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) teamed up with Fallon London to create the campaign ‘Man Meat’. The advertisement aims to show men how following a vegan diet can help prevent the symptoms of impotence, and features vegetables turned into sexual organs telling men to ‘increase your sexual stamina’. The video fails to successfully convey the message, however, as the brand fails to provide any statistics or quotes to back up the questionable sexuality at the heart of the video. The charity often uses sexual shock-tactics through the objectification of women in the hope that it will engage its audience, whereas realistically the brand should be looking to engage people animal rights without the need to place a sexual spin on the communication strategy (Polis, 2014: Online).

Rylan Clark for PETA, 2013

P E T A

PETA: Stay Firm and Fresh; YouTube, 2012

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‘Move over Barbie, there’s a new girl in town’ (Wainwright, 2012: The Guardian Online). In terms of changing behavior towards gender roles, GoldieBlox’s marketing strategy is leading the way by reinventing toys for girls and inspiring them to become engineers. The toy, which reached its fundraising goal of $150,000 in five days on Kickstarter, has been described by The Boston Globe at ‘An alternative to toys more concerned with looks than brains’ (Goldieblox.com, 2014: Online). The new brand aims to crush gender stereotypes and engage girls from a young age in male dominated fields such as technology, engineering and mathematics. Recent studies on children and sex-difference has focused more on individuals rather than on social relations, with ‘the statistical language of frequency sliding into a portrayal of dualism (“boys engage in more rough-andtumble play than girls”; “girls have greater verbal ability than boys”, “boys receive more teacher attention”)’ (Gergen and Davis, 1997, p 178). Thus, considering researchers have discovered widespread gender separation in children’s social relations, their exposure to subliminal messages and advertisements surrounding gender equality is extremely important; ‘Luria and Herzog found that in a nursery school in Massachusetts two-thirds of playgroups were samegender and 80 percent of fifth-and-sixth-graders in a public elementary school were same gender’ (Gergen and Davis, 1997, p 188) .

Goldieblox; 2013 11

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total engineers w o r l d w i d e

GOLDIE B L O X


‘biology is no less a cultural construct than gender socialization into masculinity and femininity’

Only 11% of engineers in the USA are women (Wainwright, 2012: The Guardian Online) and according to the American National Education statistics, women comprise under 18 percent of total bachelor's degrees awarded in computer sciences and engineering; under 28 percent for master's degrees in those two fields; and under 22 percent for related doctorate degrees. The Wall Street Journal has named the toy advertisement for GoldieBlox one of the best of 2013 in their annual survey of marketing executives, which features three girls who get bored whilst watching princesses on television and decide to build a machine instead (WSJ, 2014). GoldieBlox is influential as more brands should be concerned with the stereotypical gender roles in different professions; gender identity may emerge in some children as early at 18 – 24 months of age, thus targeting children from a young age is crucial in gaining progress in gender equality (Hargreaves p33). On the other hand, it could be said that the toy ‘propagates the stereotype by repackaging boys’ toys in pastel shades, with pink ribbons and blonde bouffants’, undermining the overall aim of gender equality and relying on the stereotypical female to continue to be successful (Wainwright, 2012: The Guardian Online). In order to reach a culture that is radically different in the current perceptions of identity, there are many factors that need to change, but this Sterling’s creation of GoldieBlox is certainly a good role model for future brand campaigns.

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Image by Lewis Andrews; 2013

SWITCH BRAND A N D C O M M U N I C A T I O N

STRATEGY

SWITCH SWITCH Own Image; 2013

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SWITCH SWITCH Considering how brands could continue the progress of decreasing dual objectification within advertising and the media, I have created a creative campaign and communication strategy for a genderless sportswear and casual-wear brand: SWITCH. Inspired by androgynous brands such as BOY London, SWITCH aims to encourage younger people to refrain from being strongly influenced by stereotypical gender ideologies and sexual objectification. Aside from the message of the brand, SWITCH also aims to convince customers that a fully unisex brand is a credible alternative to other brands such as Nike and Adidas. The target market is 16 – 24 year-old males and females. Through conducting a survey amongst this age group, I have discovered that advertising, marketing and social media are specifically influential upon the behavior and attitudes towards other people and social surroundings. 70 percent of the sample said that images in the media result in them feeling under pressure to act and look in a certain way to impress the opposite sex, and 60 percent saying they feel the need to impress both sexes. Therefore, SWITCH aims to encourage its consumer to feel comfortable in whatever they choose to wear rather than mimicking the stereotypical and sexually provocative images that surround us. With competitors such as Nike and Adidas, SWITCH goes against the “sex sells” idea and instead focuses on talents that both men and women share. Recent studies in neuroscience have shown that emotion is, biologically, an essential ingredient in decision making, therefore SWITCH aims to emphasise the talents shared by both genders (Bezirgan, 2013). Ogilvy and Mather’s Red Pages report ‘From Cause to Change’ stresses that behavior change comes when you engage people in something. SWITCH draws on the idea of gender role-reversal and will often run real-time live events and competitions that will be filmed in order to create a realistic and emotionally-connecting advertising campaign. For example, the brand could run a sporting competition which could see a group of males competing in a game of netball and a group of females competing in a game of basketball. Although it could run the similar risk to GoldieBlox in that the campaign could only work whilst thriving off traditional gender-stereotypes, these kind of advertisements will contribute to behavioral human progress. SWITCH could also draw on anthropomorphism within its creative campaigns, as the visualising of animals or non-living things using human characteristics has often proved to generate a connection through a state of sympathy and affection. The success of an emotionally connecting advertisement is demonstrative of Dove’s ‘Real Beauty Sketches’ campaign, which with over 114 million total views just one month after its release, became the most viral ad video of all time. Dove specifically drew on emotions, eliciting the ‘intense emotional responses of ‘warmth’, ‘happiness’ and ‘knowledge from its target demographic’, aside from generating ‘social motivations behind sharing’ (Stampler, 2013: Online).

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CON SUM ER

PROF ILE

name: hannah cooley age: 20 pursuits: swimming, netball, guitar, street dance occupation: student phone: iphone favorite brands: urban outfitters, the kooples, nike, & other stories favorite type of music: house and dance why would you buy switch? i like genderless clothing as i don’t have to think about my outfit as much. I love the idea of taking part in a live event with a brand and having the opportunity to appear in their advertisements. I also think the live events would be very fun . i am constantly on my iphone so i think it would be very important to link the brand to mobile apps but in an innovative and interesting way.

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SWITCH SWITCH SWITCH aims to work as a motivational process and focus specifically on the concept of self-efficacy and the influential role it plays in behavior change. It has been suggested that the media can help to develop selfefficacy by providing behavior models, instruction and encouragement. Thus, SWITCH’s creative strategy aims to engage all individuals and encourage them to try out activities they would usually abstain to due to the surrounding stereotypical ideologies (Chen, 2014, p 16). Live events tailored to the improvement of physical and emotional well-being could reduce negative emotional states. Through shedding light on the talents shared between both genders, the brand could could influence the physiological state of the consumer through the enhancement of their self-belief in their abilities as a male or female (Chen, 2014, p 17).

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CONCLUSION While the majority of media communication and advertising will unlikely change its attitude to gender ideologies and sex roles in the very near future; the way in which we react to these subliminal messages will help to shape the future of branding and communication strategies. Research demonstrating connections between sex-stereotypical media and our own personal identities has proven that the media’s impact on our gender identity starts in early child development, it is crucial for brands to target a younger consumer in order to gain global and societal change in this field. Advertising discourse reflects and creates social norms; ‘the ways in which individuals habitually perceive and conceive their lives and the social world, the standards they use to judge themselves and others are shaped by advertising’ (Lippke 1995, 108). Whilst it could be said that sex-role stereotyping is an integral part of the process of socialization and the process of converting ourselves into an individual; inevitably the mass media and advertising will continuously have a significant role to play.

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SWITCH SWITCH

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im a ge re f e re n ce s Axe Wash Me. 2005. [image online] Available at: http://thisisnotadvertising.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/15-years-of-axeeffect-the-worlds-most-sexist-advertising-campaign/ [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014]. David Bowie Aladdin Sane. 1973. [image online] Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/__data/assets/image/0011/172559/ bowie_aladin_sane_1000px.jpg – [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014]. Givenchy Campaign 2010. 2010. [image online] Available at: http://www.thenumber4.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/ 2010/06/givenchyfall.jpg [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014]. GoldieBlox Website Carousel. 2013. [image online] Available at: http://www.goldieblox.com [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014]. Grace Jones Nightclubbing. 1981. [image online] Available at: http://www.gregwilson.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ nightclubbing-.jpg [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014]. Lewis Andrews Photograph. 2013 [own image]. Miu Miu SS14 Resort Campaign. 2013. [image online] Available at: http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/news/l-aseydoux-joins-ad-le-exarchopoulos-in-miu-mius-resort-2014-campaign [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014]. PETA: Stay Firm and Fresh Still. 2012. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYwjjTuZsxM [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014]. Rylan Clark for PETA. 2011. [image online] Available at: http://blog.peta.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/rylanclark_fur-free_ad_FINAL300.jpg [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014].

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appendix RESEARCH METHODOLOGY In order to carry out my research, I chose to use a range of primary and secondary sources; these include books, journals, online websites, interviews and a survey surrounding my chosen subject. I also observed the general public’s behavior on a daily basis, looking at how men and women frequently conform to the gender ideologies considered in advertising and the mass media. Through Survey Monkey, I created a questionnaire and had a sample size of 55. The sample included males and females aged 18 – 30. I used these questions and answers at the beginning of my report to determine the general view on gender and sex roles in advertising and the media today. This was an easily accessible way of collecting primary research as it could be posted online and anyone could respond. I looked at a number of books and website articles focusing on a range of topics from psychology to digital technologies. This enabled me to get a more general view on advertising and the mass media. Researching online allowed me to gain access to much more recent content, ensuring my research and views are up-to-date. Looking at a range of statistics to do with technology, gender and our views towards the media also helped me generate a wider scope on the field of study. I also had a conversation with the Editor of Campaign Magazine, Danny Rogers. During this conversation, Danny advised me on various topics and informed me of groups such as WACL (Women and Communications London) and spoke of brands he felt were portraying the diversity of beauty well, such as Boots and Dove. This was an interesting way of gaining some observational research from an industry professional.

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SURVEY MONKEY RESULTS - 55 PARTICIPANTS ARE YOU MALE OR FEMALE?

60% 40% DOES IT BOTHER YOU THAT WOMEN ARE OFTEN SEXUALLY OBJECTIFIED WITHIN THE MEDIA?

75%

YES

15%

NO NOT SURE

10%

N D OO TY OSUU FREEE L T H A T M E N A R E E Q U A L L Y A S O B J E C T I F I E D A S W O M E N ?

12.5%

YES

81%

NO NOT SURE

6.25%

DO YOU FEEL PRESSURED TO LOOK OR ACT A CERTAIN WAY BECAUSE OF HOW PEOPLE ARE PORTRAYED WITHIN THE MEDIA?

81.%

YES NO

12.50% NOT SURE 6 . 2 5 %

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IF YES, WOULD YOU SAY THIS IS TO IMPRESS OTHER MALES OR FEMALES? MALES FEMALES BOTH HOW OFTEN DO YOU LOG INTO SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS PER DAY? (E.G FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, TWITTER ETC..)

6.67% ABOUT ONCE A DAY 6.67% NOT EVERYDAY

LESS THAN 5 TIMES A DAY LESS THAN 10 TIMES A DAY

46.6%

13.3%

MORE THAN 10 TIMES A DAY

26.6%

DO YOU FEEL THAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE PORTRAYED AS EQUALS WITHIN THE MEDIA, IN PARTICULAR ADVERTISING? YES

11% 83%

NO NOT SURE

5%

IF YES/NO, WHY?! SAMPLE OF ANSWERS:

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LASTLY, DO YOU FEEL THAT SEXISM WITHIN THE MEDIA NEEDS TO BE REDUCED? iF SO, DO YOU THINK ADVERTISEMENTS WOULD BE AS SUCCESSFUL IF THEY DIDN’T DRAW ON SEXUALITY AS MUCH? SAMPLE OF ANSWERS:

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