DAB-I believe that advertising is creating a sexualized venue for those who might not want to transgress normative spaces, and yet want to field the outskirts of normativity. Burger King certainly has a great ad at the mildest level. No guessing here, it will simply blow your mind. I hope this is the link. But are girls the target audience or once again men: http://themoderatevoice.com/36686/burger-kings-new-ad-a-new-low-in-vulgar-ads-aimed-at-young-customers/ or kids? Also, the pearle vision commercial seems to play into this genre with the librarian. Ikea also looks at transgressing normative space as well. Who buys Ikea? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIa2fJLVZEg Women? girls?
As for advertising to children/girls, the above ads are not specifically advertising to girls, or women. Or actually I think they are. Does this mean some kind of gendered empowerment for women? Will girls play into this? Isn't there a reality show that has little beauty girls competing against each other endorsed/enforced by parents? All of the beauty products are now sold to younger girls. Parents are buying them. Advertisers love it. I think also that during the 80s and 90s there was a baby boom and Disney films played into the 'dreams' of little girls. It doesn't matter that Belle wanted to read books. That would have been a great marketing ploy-buy books! No, just more Disney products that played into pink princesses. Funny how that fairy tale does not go away.
I do agree that it is still a matter of economics: Sex sells. It is not about one's interests, it is about producing profit and producing profit this way as early as possible. Including inventing products that producers want to sell us even if we don't want them. They create the need. Will this continue given the slump in the economy?
Your weblinks are good examples. The female on the BK ad looks really young to me. Maybe it's just that i am getting old!
ReplyDeleteNo-I think she is pretty young.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing those links, Deb. I hadn't seen the BK one yet and it's interesting to me that while it might be read as marketing to women (it plays on all sorts of tropes women are "supposed" to discuss with girlfriends, right?) but it's still actually for men, I think. Just like the other BK ads with men scantily dressed and dripping hamburger juice provocatively down their faces, I think this ad is for men. That's what's sort of disturbing maybe - a young girl positioned as object and giver and not receiver of pleasure. It's maybe not such a new message - just a little, ok a lot, more direct.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for sharing these!