Advertising

‘Killing Us Softly’ is a very good title for this video. Advertisements sell body images more than the actual products they’re supposed to promote. As a young adult, I sometimes feel personally attacked when I see an advertisement featuring a flawless woman. I can’t help but compare myself to her. The sexism and racism towards women, and especially women of color, is so obvious. I’m curious to know how these ads affect men, adolescent boys, and their perceptions of beauty.

As said in the video, advertisements set up unrealistic ideals and perceptions of reality. They show us what love is supposed to look like or even what happiness looks like. They make you feel undesirable if you don’t look exactly like the happy or sexual or loving couple you see on a poster. These “perfect” images display “perfect”-looking people, who also lack racial diversity. This is especially dangerous for young women who are just entering puberty. As their bodies change, they expect to look more and more like the photoshopped supermodels they stare at every day on the TV screen. When they don’t end up looking the way they imagined, they think there is something wrong with them when there really isn’t.

I found a bud light advertisement of a beautiful woman holding a bottle. She’s wearing a low-cut shirt, her skin is glowing, her lips are pink, her eyebrows are thin, her fingernails are painted, and she is blemish-free. The only positive part of this ad is that she is of color. Not only is this ad selling this woman but it is also implying that anybody who drinks bud light will look like her. The term “beer goggles” comes to mind. Either only pretty women should drink bud light, or any average-looking woman will look like her once you’ve had the beer.

I’m sure this ad sells the beer, but it is hurting women. I think a more effective approach would be a realistic one. If people drink beer to have fun, beer ads should be showing “normal” people having fun. An example of a company who has already started to work on this new approach is dove. They have been featuring women of all shapes and sizes in their commercials. More importantly, these women look happy in their own skin. It gives me confidence and I would like to see more companies do similar projects.

http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1993368502337678412