#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

This picture is very sad because it is very true. So many girls are pressure to look a certain way because of things they see in the media, such as the Victoria's Secret models. The way they look isn't bad, though it may be very skinny. But teenage girls have a very skewed perception of how they look. Those models are women and they have been done growing for years. Teenage girls are still growing and developing, so it's not very healthy for them to be dieting strictly. Sadly, girls don't realize the damage they're doing to their body, they only focus on the outside changes which is getting thinner. Eating disorders is a world wide issue, not just the United States. It's sad to realize we are basically the ones causing these girls to feel this way because we conform to the media and force girls to feel this pressure to be perfect when we all know perfection is unattainable.

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.

#7: Advertising or Porn?

#1

 

#2

 

#3

 

 

Rated PG-13...

#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)

Crazy huh?

 

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. 

 

#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"

Excuse me for being frank but that is what I see. Yes, I acknowledge that they are not extremely fat and yes I can say that they are beautiful, but that won't change the fact they have a little extra. I am not by any means saying that is a bad thing whatsoever. Nor is it a good thing. It just is. Just like being a size 0 isn't a bad thing or a good thing. Instead of focusing on the number so much our society needs to focus on how women feel and if they're healthy or not. But, the weight guidelines are there for a reason: because it's unhealthy to be too thin or too big. I'm 5' 9" and 150 something pounds, but I'm not fat. I am healthy. Since when has healthy equaled size 0 or size 17?

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?

Watch Video Here

 

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.