Well this has been an experience. I've learned a lot about media and it has deffinitely changed the way I view ads and how I percieve them now. Now I can see how different techniques are used to get the consumer to think certain things and associate the ad with certain things. This impacts my life because now I am able to recognize when companies are trying to get a certain message across, and I can choose to fall for their schemes or not.
I think not I am more media literate, which is very important. This is important becuase people should know how media works so they, too, can realize when they are being tricked. Media literacy also leads to being a smart consumer. When you realize what's true and what's false in ads, you are able to make smarter shopping decisions. This way you are able to saves your money and spend your money on well-made and honest products.
Before this semester I consumed a lot of media. I was either on the computer, watching TV, texting, or all of them at the same time. During this semster, however, I have not had the time nor energy to watch TV, and the only time I would be on the computer was to do homework, like this blog for example, or to be on Twitter of Facebook in between homework. I do still text constantly though, but I tried not to text that much while doing homework. It didn't work...I used to probably watch somewhere between 2-5 hours or TV a day, now I'm lucky to watch 2-5 hours a month. Watching that much TV impacted my life because I saw all the ads and that affected what clothes I wanted to buy because I saw cute things in commercials. It also affected my work habbits because I would always get distracted watching TV and not finish my work. This year I tried to be better about that and do all my work because watching TV, which is why I didn't watch TV because I would finish around 11 o' clock at night!
From this media blogs, I have learned many things. I've seen many different ads and I've been able to use my knowledge of techniques and appeals to really understand what those ads were trying to do, trying to say, and trying to make the consumer think. On some ads, I was very shocked to see some of the messages they were trying to get across using those techniques, but then I realized that's how a lot of ads are and people still believe them and fall for them. Now, I am able to look at an ad, fully comprehend it, and then make a smart consumer decision about it.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
#13: Slut or Prude. Pick One.
Left: "This is what I'm taught will get me raped."
Right: "This is what I'm taught will prevent rape."
This ad conveys what so many people think. Earlier in the year we read a story about a woman who was blamed for being raped because she wore a short skirt. I was so astounded at the number of people, girls and boys, that agreed and blamed the woman as well. To me, they are condoning the rape. They're saying "it's okay that he raped her because she had it coming" which is completely false. I think those people are delusional. If the girls that said that got raped while wearing a skirt, I would bet they would change their mind. No one gets up in the morning and thinks, "Gosh I hope I get raped today!" It doesn't work like that. While girls may be wearing skirts to get attention, the whole world knows she does not want rape. I think girls wear short skirts because they want to feel wanted. Rape is not wanted, that's why it is called rape and not sex. Sex is consensual and wanted by both people. Rape is a sexual act forced upon one person by another. No skirt says, "RAPE ME RAPE ME!"
On the left, the girl is wearing a high thigh skirt, and a tank top. She happens to be slightly heavy chested. Personally, skirts that are long on some girls would be short on me because I am so tall. Many girls face this problem as well. But shouldn't we be given the freedon to wear skirts without the fear of getting raped? Uhh yes, I think so! I should not have to arrange my outfits with the thought of, "Could this possibly get me raped tonight?" The fact is, you could be raped wearing jeans, a bikini, naked, in a burkah, or in a scuba diving suit. If a rapist wants to rape you, he will rape you.
On the right, the girls is wearing jeans and a sweater. As stated previously, you can still get raped wearing that! While clothing could make you an easier target it is not the only contributing factor to being raped and it is not, under any cirsumstance, the victims fault!
Our society has made it so easy to blame the victim, and people just deal with it. No one stands up for the teenage girl walking home in her cheerleading uniform after practice and getting raped because, "she should've changed". How horrible is that, that we have resorted to blaming the victim.
I once saw a saying: "Don't tell me waht to wear, tell them not to rape." How true is that.
This ad uses the colors black and white to set the tone for the message which is sad and dark. The white paper is where the attention is drawn so the focus will be on the message.
The target audience is the adult community. This ad is a message from my generation to my parents generation. It is telling them, "this is what you have taught me." I think many parents are unaware of this idea and how we feel about this. They don't realize this is the message they are sending to us. The media also send this message to us by how they portray victims on tv. The victim is always some girl with a mini skirt, cleavage showing shirt, make-up smeared, and stiletto heels on. They never show the studios girl who got raped.
This ad uses the advertising techniques Plain Folks because it shows teenagers in an average school ssending a simple message. Those teens are supposed to represent the high school age teen girl population, though a few ignorant females would disagree with what I have said in this entry.
#12: She's Called a Victim for a Reason
"Look at it this way, at least you weren't a virgin."
"Why didn't you scream?"
The first ad completely downplays what someone could have gone through. "At least you weren't a virgin". Oh well, hmmm you have a paper cut, let me just cut your whole arm off. You were already bleeding. Point made. Rape is rape is rape is rape. No cirsumstance can change the fact that someone was raped. EVER. The fact that someone isn;t a virgin wont change the fact they were raped. It doesn't make the situation any less painful.
The second ad blames the victim. "Why didn't you scream?" Okay, you get hit by a drunk driver. You saw the car didn't you? Why didn't you stop it? Oh yeah, you couldn't. If she doesn't say yes then it's rape. Just because she didn't say no doesn't mean she said yes. Some survivors have said they have felt physically paralized while being raped. They couldn't move, see, feel, or speak. That's why they didn't scream. Or, they could have been fearing for their life and thought if they screamed they would have been hurt more. Or, the thought of screaming might not have even crossed their mind because they were being raped! Ever think of that? And, screaming does not mean the rape will not happen. Rapists have the mentality to do anything and everything, so even if the victim screams or fights, it is probable the rape will continue to go on.
The ad uses a distortion of the picture in both ads. To me this represents the feelings of the survivor after the rape. Many victims don't know what to do or how to act. Less than 5% of rapes are reported to the police. Many victims also do not get any counseling to deal with their experiences. The colors are also dark which sets teh tone for hte topic which is dark and scary and evil.
The target audience for these ads are people that have been raped because it gives them a place to go for help. It could also be targetting people who may have had those preconceptions that it is the victims fault, and that organization could answer some very important questions and get the community more informed on the subject.
This ad uses the appeals Need to Nurture because it shows a woman alone and hurt and it makes the viewer want to help her and make her feel better. It also uses Need to Feel Safe because it gives the viewer, if they have been abused, a safe place to talk and get their problems out in the open. This ad uses the advertising techniques Plain Folks because it uses different types of woman which makes the viewer realize rape can happen to anyone, not just a certain type of woman or race or age.
#11: Hidden Mass Murder Everyday in America
In fact, an unborn baby's heart begins to beat at 18 days.
At 40 days she has measurable brain waves.
An unborn baby shouldn't be thrown away like a piece of tissue.
Let me first start by saying I do not agree with
abortion in any way, shape, form, condition, circumstance, and if you have a
problem with that then you should stop reading and continue on to the next
post.
Abortion is a big issue in our country and
everywhere around the world. The fact that you are reading this right now means
that your parents loved you enough not to abort you. Sadly, there are millions
of people that will not have the chance to read this because of the selfishness
of another human being.
I believe that a baby becomes a baby at conception.
Once an egg and sperm meet and join that is a child. Yes, it may not be able to
live outside of the mother, but scientists have done experiments inside a test
tube where they join an egg and sperm and a child is made. Just because the
babies heart doesn’t begin to beat until 18 days does not mean that it isn’t a
person. It’s amazing that at 40 days the baby already has brain waves! That
means she’s already thinking! Now how can you tell me that baby isn’t a person?
That baby, that “tissue” has feelings and emotions and thoughts after just 40
days in the womb.
Though I understand the argument of a woman’s right
to her own body, I disagree with it. I disagree because abortion isn’t only
affecting a woman’s body. Abortion is affecting a person that can’t speak for
themselves or stand up for themselves. How can you take away a person’s life when
that person doesn’t even have the option to decide if they want to live or not?
Abortion is murder because you are killing a person. No, not the potential
person. The baby is already a person; people just don’t want to accept that so
they can have an excuse to have an abortion. By saying the baby isn’t a person
we are dehumanizing that child. And yes, the child is a human. What if that
child was the person that would find the cure for cancer, or AIDS in the
future? I know many people say that, but it’s true! We are taking away so many
possibilities in our world by taking away so many lives.
Many pro-choice people believe pro-life is only made
up of a bunch of Christians who want to convert everyone to Christianity and
make them believe in God. That is not true. Though the Bible does say abortion
is wrong, my religious background doesn’t matter when it comes to the topic of
abortion. I am against abortion because it is morally wrong. Killing another
person is wrong. Especially when that person doesn’t even have a choice or an
opportunity to live!
There are so many options besides abortion, starting
with, let’s say, abstinence in the first place. If you are having sex, you know
there is a possibility you could get pregnant even if you’re on birth control
and use condoms and have your tubes tied and have a vasectomy. There is ALWAYS
a chance of pregnancy. So, if you don’t want a baby, don’t have sex! Another
option is adoption. There are so many fit mothers out there that are physically
incapable of having a child. It is so selfish to have an abortion because the
ability to bring life into this world is a gift, and you are taking that gift
for granted and misusing it. So many other people would appreciate that gift
and use it. Another option is actually being responsible for your actions and
the life you have created. You created that life so you need to bring that life
into this world and give that life the chance to live.
I understand that there are other circumstances.
Yes, rape is a fact of our society and yes pregnancy can come from it. But
studies have shown that women who are raped and receive abortion services are
actually more damaged by the abortion than the rape itself. I also realize that
some women who get pregnant are not in the best of situations. They may be in
an unhealthy relationship where they are scared for the child’s life if they
bring them into this world, but there are countless organizations to help with
that and they are so easy to access. There are also teenagers who get pregnant
and may live in an abusive home where they are scared for their own safety if
their family found out about the pregnancy. But again, people dedicate their
lives to help teenagers like those.
This ad uses only black and white colors. To me
those colors represent the topic in the sense that it is either black and
white. There is no in between on this subject. Either you are for killing a
human life or you are against it. Simple.
This ad uses the appeals Need to Nurture because it shows a baby and though not everyone may want to protect that child, in fact some may actually want to kill it, but when I see that I want to do everything in my power to protect that baby. This ad doesn't use any advertising techniques because it's not trying to trick anyone by using any sneaky tricks. It is simply stating facts: ABORTION IS WRONG
#10: Why Not? YOLO!
Smart may have the brains, but stupid had the balls.
I don't understand this ad whatsoever. It doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. I don't get what it's trying to say. Or sell for that matter.
After researching this ad, I found that the company Diesel was encouraging its consumer to "be stupid". I'm not completely sure how that's a good thing? Expecially not flashing a security camera...not very smart! Or respectable! Diesel sells everything from womens jeans to mens shoes and jewelry. I'm guessing the girl in the ad is wearing Diesel clothes.
I think this ad is trying to say that to be stupid you have to have balls? I'm not sure why there is a girl, though, considering girls don't have balls...awkward...To show your boobs to the camera is not a very smart thing to do at all. It's definitely stupid, but is that a good thing? Not really...
This ad uses the appeal Need to Acheive because I bet you she was proud after setting that ladder up and lifting her shirt. That must of been super difficult. Sarcasm. It uses Need for Attention because obviously this girl is trying to get attention. I can't think of any other reason to show your boobs to the security camera...
This ad uses the advertising techniques of Transfer/Association because it's trying to say that having balls is a good quality in a person while promoting the brand Diesel. It makes the person think, "If Diesel support my stupid ideas like showing my boobs to the camera then I should support them by buying their clothes". Another stupid idea. It uses Wit and Humor because even though the slogan doesn't make very much sense, it is funny so it grabs the viewers attention. It uses Bandwagon because I think most would agree that we liked to be reffered to as "having balls" because that means we took a risk to do something therefore we are cool. I'm not really sure about this one, but I think it uses Gestalt: Subliminal Persusion because most people only pay attention to the slogan and the fact that they want to "have balls" but they don't pay attention to hte fact that what the girl is doing is...uhmm...illegal! The viewer focuses on the whole, the slogan, not the part, the girl.
#9: Pro STUPID?
I Beat Obesity
This was an ad to support anorexia. I guess anorexia is the only other option besides obesity? How about thin, or curvy, or uh HEALTHY? Neither option, obestiy or anorexia, is a good option. There are so many more possibilities for every body type!
The phrase "I Beat Obesity" also makes it seem like obesity is an illness. I personally do not believe obesity is an illness. I think it is a problem, but not an illness.
This is another ad that shows how much women descriminate against each other. Skinny girls calling other girls fat and vice versa. And us girls wonder why men think it's okay to judge us by our bodies? Because first we judge our own bodies, and then we judge other women by their bodies. Men see this and think "well if they do it to each other it should be okay for me too!" WRONG! It's not okay for any group to descriminate against another group. In our generation, it's no longer about skin color or sex or even sexual orientation so much. Nowadays, it's about how you look. Women are always competing with each other. Competing to look the best, whatever that happens to be this season, and competing for mens attention. We're always tryingt o break one another down so we can somehow be lifted up and feel better about ourselves. This is another reason why girls are anorexic. This shows the pressure they have to be skinny because if they're not skinny then they're considered obese.
The colors in this ad are all black and white to ad a sort of drama to the subject. It does ad a seriousness as well, which is important because this is a very serious topic. If the colors were bright it wouldn't be the same because it would lighten up the mood when this is supposed to be a dark ad.
This ad uses the appeal Need for Aesthetic Sensations because it shows a pretty girl with the shirt that says "I Beat Obesity" so it's saying to be pretty you can be obese.
#8: One Extreme to the Other
Support for people with eating disorders
Sadly, this picture conveys something many many girls have gone through. On the left is a very anorexic frail girl, yet when she looks in the mirror she still see's that she is not thin enough.
Statistics:
- 10% of girls that have eating disorders will die from that disorder
- 42% of 1st - 3rd graders want to be thinner
- 95% of girls that have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25
- Over half of teenage girls use unhealthy weight loss such as skipping meals, laxatives, smoking, binging and purging, or fasting
- Anorexia is the 3rd most common illness among teenage girls
The statistics are very scary. Eating disorders can start at 12 years old? That's 6th grade. There's probably girls younger that deal with that but it's a very small percentage or not reported. Eating disorders are frightening because a girl can die from them. They effect obviously physically, because you're losing weight drastically. Also mentally, because you believe things that aren't true of yourself, that a size 2 isnt small enough. And deffinitely emotionally. Girls with eating disorders suffer from depression, I'm guessing because they're upset with themselves for not being thin enough and thinking that they aren't beautiful.
The ad uses the plain white bra and underwear to make the statement simple and straight to the point. If they had designs or color it would jumble the picture too much and distract from the message.
This ad uses the appeal of Need to Nurture because we see this poor girl who is so thin her bones are sticking out and we automatically want to help her or feel bad for her. The ad also uses the advertising technique of Plain Folks because the girl is just a girl, she's no one special, she's ment to represent the average everyday girl.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
#7: Advertising or Porn?
#1
#2
#3
#1: Well, she's half naked. And the main idea is "panty time", which she is only wearing panties. She's barely covering her boobs, and she looks like she's about my age. But, I know models can be older and look younger. That doesn't excuse the fact that it looks like a teenage girl is half naked and she is being plastered all around advertising underwear.
This ad DEFFINITELY uses the appeal of Need for Sex because she's lying there half naked advertising her underwear. I don't think I need to explain that more. It also uses the advertising techniques of Sex Appeal obviously for the same reasons stated previously: She's half naked!
#2: Oh gosh. The slogan is "now open". Her legs are wide open. Need I say more? She also looks like she could be a teenager.
This ad is the same as the one before. It uses the appeal of Need for sex and uses the advertising technique of Sex Appeal for the same reasons as the previous ad.
#3: So, the main focus is the butt, and the slogan is stuff this. This is referring to--do I have to say it? Though it is talking about Christmas and stockings, it is very vulgar.
This ad is also the same as the two previous ones. It uses the appeal of Need for sex and uses the advertising technique of Sex Appeal.
That's pretty much all these ads are doing: avertising sex. Though they are trying to sell underwear and other things, they only do that by getting people's attention with the girl first. And honestly, are people really going to buy the underwear because they saw the girl on the front? NO. American Apparel used this ad just to get their name out there. People are going to remember this ad because it was so provacative and they are going to remember it was American Apparel. I'm not sure it will make people buy the clothes, though. As a girl myself, I do not want to participate in objectifying women, which is exactly what I would be doing if I shopped at American Apparel.
This ad makes me very angry because of it's message to girls and to everyone. To girls, it's saying "You are an object. A sex toy. You're only valuable for your looks and for what you can do sexually." To men it is saying "Girls are objects. They are not important. Use them." And girls are so much more than just a pretty face.
This ad connects to the video we watched Missrepresentation. These ads are showing girls they are just sex objects and girls are believing it. Girls let themselves be disrespected by men and even other girls. They don't see themselves as worthy of anything other than mistreatment because by these ads they are taught they aren't worthy. These ads are teaching young girls they are only good for sex, all they can ever do is sex.
American Apparel has many more ads that are even more provacative, believe it or not. Many ads have been banned in the UK because they show naked girls, from the front and the back. I'm not sure if America has banned these ads, though they should be. American Apparel claims their ads are art, and are for the cultural fashion group. However, that is not the case. Not just the higher-ups in fashion see these ads, everyone sees these ads. And if everyone is seeing these ads, everyone is getting the message which is not okay.
#6: Reality Check
Candies Foundation: raising awareness about teen pregnancy
I actually find this ad very smart. The company found a way to get into the teenage life/brain by appealing to them with wit and not lecturing them about sex like everyone else in their life. The slogans they used were also kind of funny, though teenage pregnancy is a very serious matter, in my opinion.
From here on out, the word "sex" will refer to sexual intercourse.
Some statistics:
- 46% of all high school age kids have had sex
- 39% do not use condoms
- 6% have had sex before the age of 13
- 14% have had more than 4 partners
- 8% of girls said their first partner was 6 or more years older
- 20% of 9th graders say they are sexually active (had sex within the past 3 months)
- 28% of males and 16% of females say their first partner was someone they had just met or were "just friends" with
- More than 33% of teens have said they have sent a sexual text, IM, or email
- 61% say they want to save sex until marriage
- 63% said they wish they would take their virginity back
- 60% have reported feeling negative after sex, such as feeling used
- 41% lost their virginity to rape (though this statistic is for college women, it can still apply to high school girls because it still happens to high school girls)
The first picture is the funniest. It says, "You think your parents give you a lot of crap?" This is implying that a baby will give you even more literal crap! Gross! But very true. Coming from experience, teenagers tend to be fed up with their parents around this time in their life, which is understandable. We want to go out and do things on our own even if we may not be mature enough to handle it. Just like sex. We want to be grown up and do grown-up things when in reality we're still little kids that need our parents to take care of us. Though that may not be true for all, I would say it is the majority. There is a small percentage that can take care of themselves and live on their own and provide for themselves. But for the rest of us, we want to make those decisions that adults make, such as having sex in high school, which is not the smartest idea.
The second picture says, "Not really the way you pictured your first crib huh?" This is telling teens that if htey get pregnant, it will be very hard for them to move out and get their own place once they have a baby because they will need their parents to support them. Their first "crib" (house) wont be for themselves it will be for their baby.
Most other ads and shows on tv and songs we listen to glamourize sex and losing your virginity. They make it seem like it's normal to have sex before marriage when, in fact, it is not. No one, and especially not teenagers, should be having sex before marriage.This is one of the first ads I've seen that doesn't make sex seem okay and actually show you the consequences of sex. Other ads over sexualize everything and make it seem like it's okay and no one gets hurt and everything is peachy when you have sex and lose your virginity. Big reality check here: IT'S NOT! Losing your virginity in high school takes a big emotional toll on everyone, even those who think they are "strong". Studies show teens who have sex early are more likely to suffer from despression, use drugs and alcohol, get pregnant, have more than one partner, and less likely to use condoms or a form of birth control. Many ads show losing your virginity as no big deal when in fact it is a very big deal. That is something precious and something that should be cherished, not thrown around and given to the first guy/girl that looks your way. It should be given to your husband/wife, but sadly our generation has changed our culture to where not very many people are saving themselves for their honeymoon. Though I will say, since high school I have met many more people who claim they do not want to have sex before marriage. It seemed in previous years, though we were younger, everyone wanted to have sex, to get it over with, because they thought that would make them cool or they would be one step ahead of everyone else and be somehow more grownup.
This ad shows a glimpse of the hard life that teens will have if they do choose to have sex and get pregnant. A baby is very expensive, which is why I believe people should wait to have babies until they are married, have stable jobs, and are emotionally stable to care for a child. I do not belive you should bring a child into this world unless you are 100% capable of taking care of the child, which means supporting him/her with food, clothes, shelter, not being abusive, emotionally with love and kindness, and spiritually by teaching the child about God and the Bible (though many may be of a different religion or not believe at all, that is how I plan to raise my children). Teens are not ready to be parents no matter what they've gone through or how grown up they think they are. Even if a child was put in a situation where they've had to care for siblings and think of them as their own, I still feel it is very different. The point is, babies shouldn't be having babies. Meaning: When you're a teenager you're still a kid yourself, so how can you take care of another living being when you haven't fully experienced life and learned all your lessons? Some adults shouldn't be parents, let alone teenagers.
This ad, while promotion abstinence, is also promoting the Candies clothing brand. It also is drawing attention to the national issue of teen pregnancy. Yes, it is an issue. Now we even have TV shows about teenage pregnancy. Has it gone too far?
The target audience for this ad is both abstinent and sexually active teenagers, an their parents. This ad encourages abstinent teens to keep doing what their doing. It also warns sexually active teens they must be careful and use protection or they will have to face the fact of a baby. It's directed at parents as well because no parent wants their high schooler to have a baby, so it's also kind of a warning to parents to have "The Talk" with their kids or to keep a closer eye on them and make sure they are being responsible.
This ad uses the appeals of Need to Nurture for parents becaause parents always want to protect their children especially from their own mistakes. It uses the advertising techniques of Plain Folks because it doesn't just aim towards one group of people because anyone can get pregnant, not just a certain ethnicity or socioeconomic group. It also uses Testimonial because all of the ads have a celebrity in them telling teens not to have sex, or not to get pregnant. Wit and Humor is also used in the slogans in the ad. It appeals to the teens culture and brings them in by making them laugh. Once you have their attention and are on their level, then the message is introduced and teens are more likely to read it and think about it.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
#5 So I'm Not Real? Or Beautiful?
Dove ad for "Real Beauty Campaign"
Let me first say that nothing in this post is meant to offend anyone. The things I say are simply my opinion and how I feel about this ad and the message it is trying to convey.
Skinny girls always hate on big girls, and big girls always hate on skinny girls. That's how it's always been and it will continue to be that way until the end of time. The picture above is supposed to depict "real" women. Let's forget about the fact that I'm 15 for a second, and pretend I'm, let's say, 25 instead. If a real woman is to be defined by this picture, than I am most certainly not a real woman.
Characteristics of real women based on this picture:
- "overweight" or "thick" or "curvy" or "chubby", or to put it simply, "fat"
Another thing: Since when does Britain's opinion matter in America? Oh yeah, it doesn't. And no, the models in beauty advertising aren't unrealistic. There are women ALL around the world that are size 0 and healthy and beautiful. Most of which do not starve themselves to get that way. Ever heard of metabolism? Some women have a faster metabolism than other women, but that is by no means their fault. So why do we hate on the skinny women for something they can't really control? Honestly, in my own personal life I find women who say that are just mad/jealous they can't be a size smaller, so they take their own insecurities out on the women they are jealous of by saying they aren't real. Yes there is photoshop and computer touch up blah blah blah. But think for a second...figured it out yet? This is also an advertisment, and like it or not, digital retouching is in ALL PICTURES. Yes, including this one. Ah, now you've caught on. The fact is, EVERYONE has blemishes and marks and bumps and bruises and scars and things they don't like about themselves; things others don't like as well. No one wants to see a model with a pimple or a bulge because of bad body positioning. That's how our world is, get over it.
This ad actually makes me kind of angry, like most things in our world, because it tells size 0 women that they are somehow not real and therefore inadequate. Personally, I think we are not all equal, but that's not because of what we look like, it's because of what we do with the life we are given by God. What if all those women were serial killers? Still the definition of real? Didn't think so. I understand this ad is trying to counter the negative effect ads like Victoria's Secret has on bigger women and include them, but they didn't acheive that. Instead, they reversed the situation and made the bigger girls feel like they're better than skinny girls and excluded the skinny girls out of being "real". Victoria's Secret is to one extreme, and Dove has gone to the other extreme. Neither one is right.
I'm offended by this ad because it makes me personally feel as if I am somehow unreal just because I do work out and honestly want to be skinny. Being bigger than I am isn't a bad thing that's not what I'm saying, but I, myself, do not want to be bigger than I am. I like being what others call skinny. That might be because of the so-called "fake" pictures in the magazines and because I was made fun of in elementary school for being chubby, but why must I be punished and told I'm not real because I grew up in a society that said this is what I'm supposed to look like? Exactly, I shouldn't. I am just as real as the next girl who does the same things I do but is 100 pounds heavier than I am.
I am beautiful. So are you. So is my mom, who by clinical definition is overweight. Love ya, Mom! If I let this picture define what real is to me I would quit playing volleyball and be in the kitchen eating more bread so I can gain weight. If I let Victoria's Secret define what real is to me I would be in the gym right now and on a juice cleanser every other week. But here I am, writing to you. And guess what? I like it that way. My definition of real could be very different from your definition of real, so why does society have to tell us which one is right? They don't! Who said we have to listen to the ads telling us she's beautiful because of this and she's not because of that? We don't! We become fake when we conform to the ads and believe everything they say. Beauty comes from within, literally, because when you're healthy you feel good and when you feel good you feel beautiful. No number, just feelings.
Real to me is staying true to yourself and doing what you want to do and gosh darnet if that's eat another Twinkie then you eat that Twinkie! If that's going to the gym because that's what makes you feel good then do that! Don't let some magical being behind the advertisment tell you you're not beautiful just because you do or don't look a certain way.
This ad uses a white background and the white bra-underwear set to make the ad feel happy and fresh and innocent, and cover up its message which is demeaning, hurtful, and one big fat lie. Oops, wrong word?
The target audience for this ad is women who might be plus size or women who don't fit into the "perfect" look of the women in magazines. I think this ad was used to make bigger women feel better about themselves and that it's okay to be bigger.
I think this ad uses the appeal of the Need for Prominence because it puts bigger women under the false pretense that they are real and skinny girls aren't. This makes them feel as if they are better than other women because they are somehow "real". Some ads also do the same for skinny girls against bigger girls. I don't think the ad uses the Need to Feel Safe but it does, in a way, make bigger girls feel safe because now they think they are "real" and it's okay to be overweight. So they hide their unhealthiness behind being so-called "real". I think this ad also uses the appeal of the Need for Aesthetic Solutions because real is supposed to be beautiful and Dove is all about making women feel beautiful.
This ad uses the advertising techniques of Plain Folks because real women are supposed to be everyday women doing everyday things. I think this add uses the technique of Weasel Words because they use the world "real" to cover up the fact that the women are overweight.
Permission to be cliche for a moment? Granted. Real women come in all shapes and sizes. It's not like every ad of a woman has a fake woman. She is alive and moves and lives. Don't be mad because she happens to be a size smaller or bigger, or she has a certain type of fat where you don't, if you know what I mean. Real women are skinny, real women have abs, real women have muscle, real women have fat. I have fat! Don't pretend like you haven't noticed... Real women have size double D boobs, real women have size A boobs, real women wear size 0 and real women wear size 17. Don't try to say a woman isn't real because she works out 2 hours a day and has a strict diet and likes it that way. Dont try to say a woman isn't real because she likes to eat ice cream and spends her time doing other things she enjoys more than the gym. That's her and you are you, so do you and keep your nose on your face instead of in someone elses business. Please and thank you.
#4 No More Volleyball = Teenage Pregnancy?
If You Let Me Play
I will like myself more
I will have more self-confidence
I will suffer less depression
I will be 60% less likely to get breast cancer
I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me
I will be less likely to get pregnant before I want to
I will learn what it means to be strong
If you let me play sports.
For some reason this ad really irks me. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because I have no idea where Nike got those ideas from. Possibly from the Bag of Lies? Sounds likely. I agree with some of the statements, such as, "I will learn what it means to be strong" because I think sports do help people mentally with focusing and putting all of their energy into one thing and doing it well. No one likes to lose and they will do whatever it takes to win the game they are in. Except for those giver-uppers who shouldn't be playing sports anyways. I also agree with the statements, "I will have more confidence" because when people play sports and they become good at that sport they have confidence in the fact that they can do that thing and do it well and win games. However, I STRONGLY DISAGREE with the statements such as, "I will be 60% less likely to get breast cancer", "I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me", "I will be less likely to get pregnant before I want to". For the cancer statement, I guess they must have gotten that figure from somewhere, but I don't know how they would conduct that study. Ask people who have cancer, "do you play sports?" No, I don't think so. For the abuse statement, I don't even have words to describe how totally and completely WRONG that is! In my opinion sports does not provide a girl with what she needs to be able to leave a man who beats her. Leaving an abusive situation is so much more than saying "goodbye" and walking away. I also feel like this ad is downplaying the suffering and troubles of women who do go through abuse. So, if they played sports they would have left him? NO! For the pregnancy statement I don't understand how they got that either. Maybe because if they play sports that will take up their time so they wont have oppourtunities to get pregnant? Ha, if you think teenagers don't find ways to have sex then you are living with your eyes closed. Nike needs to wake up and realize the facts of this generation.
The commercial that goes with this add also really bothers me. There are mostly little kids in the commercial and I don't understand how these topics really relate to 6-year-olds? Yes, selfconciousness can and does start early, but I think this ad should've been more about teenagers who are at that stage in their life who are facing the possibilities of being in a relationship with someone who beats them or getting pregnant. Also, when the little girl says the statement "I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me" she smiling or somewhat laughing and I don't understand that at all because while it is good to leave someone who beats you I don't think it's something to laugh about. Which goes back to how Nike is downplaying that aspect of our culture. And yes, it is a cultural/societal thing, not circumstantial. As a community, as a whole, we deal with abuse; not just certain people.
The tone of the ad is sad and sort of like begging others to let kids play sport, while the commercial is more of an uplifting tone as if the sports is helping the kids. Yes, I do agree that sports help kids stay motivated and put their energy into positive things, but I don't agree with the things Nike says it helps with. I don't think colors play a role in the ad, it's more of the words that have the impact. This ad is directed at parents/gurdians and people that have influence in the world that can start programs to get kids into sports. When parents see these "statistics" they will feel as if they have to put their child in sports because if they don't then they are somehow either letting their child be a victim or such things or promoting such things. Both of which are completely false.
I think the ad uses the appeal of the Need to Nurture because when a parent see's the little girl with the statements below they feel the need to protect their own child(ren) from those things. It also uses the Need to Acheive because all of those statements are good things to gain (I just don't think playing sports will help someone do those things). Also, the Need to Feel Safe is used because the viewer feels if they put their child in sports they will be safe from all of those things (which isn't true!).
The ad uses the advertising techniques of Facts and Figures because the statements seem as if they are somehow statistics. I mean, people can't just make up lies and publish them right? Ha... It also uses Plain Folks because anyone can put their child in sports (with some exceptions). I also think it uses Glittering Generalities and Weasel Words in a way because by saying something like "if you let me play sports I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me" it's pretty much saying "if you don't let me play sports I will be with a man who beats me". When you put it like that, of course they're gonna let them play sports! It makes it seem as if Nike can protect a child from all those things of the world just by playing sports. Again, untrue.
This ads main goal, I think, is to convince people that playing sports is a good thing and it will prevent the unsatisfactory concepts of the world. The truth is, while playing sports is good, it will not help a girl leave a man who beats her, or help her become less likely to get pregnant. Yes there may be some cases where people will say, "All because of sports (insert good thing that happened). But as a majority, bad things happen and sports wont help. Nike wants to make it seem like they care about preventing those statements, but really they're only doing that so parents will think, "Well Nike cares about my child, I think I'll buy those shoes instead." It's giving the viewer a false sense of security.
#3: Nude=Seduction
Maybelline Color Sensation Lip Color
(nude shades)
"Embrace the color of seduction". These words tell me, that if I buy this new Maybelline lipstick I will be able to seduce. Oh wait, I'm 15. Seduce? I think not. Then why are these ad's in Seventeen Magazine? A magazine that is directed specifically for teenage girls. Hmmm....
I have to admit, I do like those colors, but I don't like the message the lipstick is sending. This ad is sending a message to me, and other teenagers and women, that to seduce we need to buy their product, but that is very untrue. They're also sending the message to teenage girls that it is important to seduce, which is, in my opinion, the very last thing society should want on a teenagers mind. Have we not seen the 16 and Pregnant show? This makes me angry because it shows just how much society downplays sex and that it's okay in any circumstance, which it's not.
This ad uses the appeal of the need for sex, because it's talking about seduction and the ad is telling viewers if they buy this lipstick they can seduce. In my opinion seduction is directly connected with sex and nothing else. This ad uses the techniques of Snob Appeal because the woman is obviously pretty and she isnt looking into the camera so the viewer can't really connect with her which makes them feel as if she isn't on her "level". I think it also uses the technique of Magic Ingredients because the ad makes it seem as if the lipstick is what makes the woman seductive, not the fact that she is one of the many decietful and tricky women who will do whatever it takes to get her man! The lipstick does nothing to make the woman seductive, it's what the woman makes of the lipstick that makes her seductive. Anoyone can slap on some color, but that doesn't make them sexy in the least. It also uses the technique of Sex Appeal because of how the womans face is positioned, how her hair is somewhat messy and covering her face so the focus is on her lips, and from the beginning the focus is on seduction which makes people think of sex automaticaly. It also uses Simple Solutions because it makes the viewer think "if I buy this lipstick I will be seductive" which is not true.
The color in this add is very effective for the message it is trying to send. The only bright color is the lipsticks and the flower which is the same color. It's pink and light and cute by itself, but when it's on the lips is when the "seductive" part comes into play. The rest of the ad is dark which in a way "sets the mood" for a seductive setting.
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