Sexism in Advertising: Good Advertisements

This advertising strategy is  positive because of the ways in which the ad portrays motherhood in such a positive way.  The ad features a woman holding a baby in her arms.  The advertisement is for the ring on the woman’s right hand.  On the side of the ad, there is a message.  The message states “Hold on to those fleeting moments that matter the most.  An important anniversary, a proud accomplishment, a new arrival.  A Tiffany celebration ring captures your feelings for all time.”  This ad celebrates womanhood.  It does not view a ring solely for an engagement, but as a symbol for something positive to celebrate in life.  A ring does not just have to be an indication of marriage; it can be an indication of many of life’s accomplishments.  This ad celebrates the joy of childbirth, womanhood, and all of life’s little celebrations that may often go unnoticed. 

This advertising strategy is positive because of the ways in which the ad portrays women in a positive light.  The ad features a woman sitting on the grass in her running shoes.  Across the ad is the phrase “Be more satisfied with the grass on your own side of the fence.”  It is a very empowering message because it inspires women to be happy with the way they are.  The ad does not portray some unrealistic body type women should strive to have; it just encourages them to be healthy.  Though the ad does show just the woman’s legs, they are not featured in a vulgar or subjective way.  I think it is great to finally see an ad that encourages women to be happy with their body type, whatever it may be.

 

This advertisement sends a positive message when it comes to women and athletics, because sports are often perceived to be dominated by males.  “Running like a girl,” a statement that is often used as an insult, is both celebrated and mocked in this ad.  As clearly stated, these women would be “running like a girl” because they are infact women.  However, this ad tells women to be proud of their own abilities and to embrace their sex and athletic power.

This ad draws attention to the unfortunately prevalent problem of domestic abuse.  It sends the message that no woman is alone in her struggle against domestic abuse, and support is available to help every single victim.  This advertisement is especially effective in that it provides readers with a way to get involved in this issue by providing a phone number as well as a website dedicated to the cause.  Moreover, the woman featured in the ad is strong and confident, staring directly at the reader.  This image is incredibly refreshing as images of weak, over-sexualized women are incredibly common in most popular media. 

This advertisement was chosen because it sends the message that women of all sizes, shapes, and colors are desirable and beautiful. In our culture today, many woman and young girls are taught through the media that they should be striving to attain the “perfect body,” which translates to being skinny and perfectly proportioned. Body image disturbance not only have emotional affects but can also lead to physical illnesses such as eating disorders. It is important that companies take responsibility for the absurd image women are expected to compare themselves to, and change the focus of advertising to one of acceptance and empowerment. This ad not only empowers women in general, but also empowers women of color. It promotes acceptance of one’s body while also promoting acceptance of all people regardless of their race or outward appearance. By empowering women and encouraging equality, Curvation is combating sexual and domestic violence as well as rape culture. 

The Citigroup advertisement breaks away from hegemonic gender stereotypes.  The ad depicts a woman who is lying halfway beneath a car, with a toolkit next to her, in the process of fixing some mechanical problem with her car.  This advertisement shows that women can enjoy hobbies such as restoring cars, which is traditionally viewed as a male area of interest.  The ad specifically addresses this when it says, “As a little girl, I didn’t play with dolls.  I played with carburetors.”  In addition, the ad does not rank one gender over another, but instead treats both genders as equal.  For instance, the women in the advertisement enjoys to wear high-heels, which is an action typically associated with being feminine, but the advertisement portrays a woman wearing heels and fixing a car as very empowering instead of ranking her so-called feminine and masculine qualities in relation to each other.  Also, the advertisement treats this behavior as normal instead of as an anomaly, which further acknowledges that breaking hegemonic gender roles is common and acceptable.

This advertisement is empowering to women because of the way it portrays a woman of color as a strong and dedicated person.  She is shown being physically active and fit, which breaks the stereotypical idea of women as a sex object or homemaker.  Finally, this ad describes how this woman achieved the goals she set for herself as a child, showing her pure determination and success at what she does.