Advertisement Analysis-Sex in Advertisement
The art of advertising has been alive in human history for an inordinate length of time. Advertisement pre-existed the development of the current mass media platform or any scholarly studies of the art of advertisement. However, the art has greatly transformed and its present form is nothing like the past forms of advertisement. But notably, the principles are still the same: to attract and influence customers into purchasing products. Common old modes of advertisement included loud calls and outdoor market displays neatly done to attract the buyers. Businessmen and women have been aware of the power of advertisement for a long period of time. As time has gone by advertisement has tremendously grown and taken a shape of its own as distinct industry carrying out advertisement and merchandising.
Advertisement and merchandising is now a multi-billion industry of its own making, and companies spend billions of dollars annually because they have become cognizant of the power of the industry of advertising and merchandising. The development of several multi-media channels to share information and more so, the proliferation on the internet has improved the advertising industry’s power greatly (Biagi 46). The industry focuses on shaping people’s psychological attitudes, behavior, values and perceptions through all the media channels at their disposal.
Day-in-day-out, Americans get exposure to a bombardment of advertisement on their radios, televisions, computers, cell phones, dailies, magazines and bill-boards all scattered all over-just to mention but a few. All the information on these media is only geared towards portraying the “ideal” life or rather what is good for life. Notably, these advertisements subtly engrain their information and “ideals” into our minds in a very subtle manner that cannot be immediately detected. However, with time the information starts manifesting in the population’s shopping habits, eating habits, dress codes choice vehicles and accessories and a lot more in terms of choice and preferences. Clearly, it’s a game of the sub-conscious and least of an effort to appeal.
During this manifestation the advertisements are deemed to have achieved their goals and at this point society will have soaked up the subtly presented “ideal” image of the advertisement and society does not perceive that as being extraordinary, but rather the norm (Biagi 72). This paper shall particularly focus on the use of sexual appeal in advertising. In order to bring the topic into a clearer focus, the paper shall review one of the most recent advertisement by Gucci, which incorporates a picture of a Model (Carmen Kass) pictured drawing down the front part of her knickers to show off her pubic hair trimmed into a letter G for Gucci. The advertisement is meant to appeal to buyers of Gucci waxing kit. Already the advertisement has raised eye brows after its display on Vogue’s edition of February. The picture (“Pubic Enemy”) shot by Mario Testino has elicited some sharp reactions with some terming it as coarse, vile and degrading to women.
A large number of advertisements rely on societal and human trends driven by desires and materialism. Fashion and materialism are perhaps the most exploited principles that foster consumerism-a desire to have more and plenty (Kasser 31). Objectification and degrading of women or the female gender are common issues of discussion that have lasted as long as the history of advertisement can be recollected in the 20th century. This objectification and degradation comes as a result of the incorporation of sex appeal virtually in all advertisements featuring images of short motion pictures of women.
Just like in most other advertisements featuring women and sex appeal the Gucci advertisement by “Pubic enemy” is extremely sexually suggestive, because in addition to the model’s suggestive lowering of her knickers there is a man bending in front of her in an equally suggestive manner by virtue of his position and action of holding on to her thighs. This advertisement explicitly exploits sexual appeal as a means of advertisement. Jib Fowl identifies the need for sex as one among the 15 basic appeals of advertising that uses the deep running sub-conscious desires to appeal to clients in a manner that seems to them as a satisfaction of their deep running desires. Advertisers have been able to attract and appeal through picturing and forming the deep-lying human states and desires that most consumers privately yearn for in order to catch attention and attract buyers.
The advertisements are meant to pull at consumers psychological sleeves to slow them down so that they can get a further glimpse of word on the advertisement that will draw them to buy. The Gucci example is particularly meant for a market niche consisting of both young male and female buyers of grooming products. Pubic hair is at times considered by many as an unpleasant thing, just like an overgrown beard, and as such the advertisement tries to show that trimming one’s pubic hair is probably the best way to appeal to members of the opposite sex. This is suggested by the man bending in front of the lady in what seems like an obsessive attraction. This is implies the “ideal” of being clean shaven as a way of neatness and being attractive.
The company may have resulted to an extreme means of advertising, but again that is what every advertiser is doing-trying to catch buyer’s attention at all cost. The advertisement is basically intended for young adults, but the products may span the whole adult market niche with a particular focus on individuals with a class and desire for beauty. The advertisement does not only consider age and class, but it also focuses on a niche with enough discretionary income to spare for such kits, which are definitely pricey. The advertisement uses more of an artistic appeal than anything, because there is very little use of words, like some catchy advertisements do. The advertisement scores highly as an attention getter, because of the semi-nude images with suggestive postures.
The artistic aspect of the poster is what carries most of the subtle sex appeal messages of the advertisement. For example the man leaning over the lady, seems to be extremely attracted in an obsessive manner implied by his posture and suggestive action of holding on the lady’s thighs. The suggested attraction suggests that the lady’s shaving is the “ideal” and it also implies that the kind of shaving attained is attractive and even charming in a sexual way to the opposite sex. It is the desire of many young men and women to feel attractive and as such the advertisement tries to exploit the inner-lying desires in such people to attain more sales (Kartel 1). The general layout of the advertisement is well conceived and what is intended as the centre of attraction (the G for the Gucci product) is indeed kept at the center of the advertisement picture or poster.
Conclusively, the advertisement succeeds in relaying the desired message-the beauty and charm that Gucci products can confer. It also succeeds to a great extent to catch the eye and attention of the viewer as well as direct the attention to the center of focus that relays the ‘ideal work’ of the waxing kit. The advertisement is however lacking in terms of relaying other advertisement information such as price, discounts (if any), places of purchase and much more that the client would like to know after viewing the advertisement. A buyer may like the appeal of the product, but s/he may be unable to know where to find it, and at which price.
Bibliography
Biagi S. Media/Impact: An Introduction to Mass Media, 8th edition, Cengage Learning, 2006. Print
Kasser, T. The High Price of Materialism, MIT Press, 2003, Print
Kartel B, Elements of an effective advertising poster, 2005, retrieved on 7th April January, 2011 from http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Elements-of-an-Effective-Advertising-Poster/2114515
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