Gender representation in advertising: blog tasks

1950's-1960's adverts

The stereotypes in adverts featuring women from the 1950's to 1960's are that a woman's only role was to serve their families, specifically their husbands, and that they should have been loyal towards the 'superior' gender (men).

This is clear as in the first advert (club soda), the portrayal of a 'good' woman was to not "quit on" their husbands as women were viewed as inferior, meaning they had to be completely faithful and dependant on men. This is reinforced by the second advert (Budweiser) because the wife had the task of making food for the husband in order to impress/please him, suggesting that women needed approval from a man. This is further strengthened by the third advert (Inglis automatic washer) due to the fact that "washdays" are compared to "holidays", proposing that women should be grateful and happy to do housework as they are fulfilling their duties.

Advertising and Marketing: Key conventions

Part 1: Skittles advert analysis

• The images of the product (skittles) inform the audience of what kind of product it is. The idea of 'taste the rainbow' is also reinforced by having the product in the form of a rainbow, which is usually associated with joy
• The logo is the central image of the advertisement because it is made bright and colourful to help it stand out, therefore promoting the producers of the product
• The background is a simple image of the sky, further allowing the logo to stand out while also suggesting to the audience that the product will make you feel happy as if you were on the clouds
• The slogan 'taste the rainbow' is catchy but also informing us of the USP - that there are many skittles with different flavours
• The colour scheme being rainbow enhances the recognisable brand identity of skittles

Part 2: Advert research

Advert with clear brand identity:

Advert that uses shock tactics or a controversial idea:

Advert that creates a strong emotional connection:

Advert that shows women or men in a way they don't normally appear:

Advert that is innovative or has a subversive concept:

Advert that is foreign but still understandable despite the language barrier:

Advert that subverts gender representations: