OUGD401 | Advertisement analysis

I am aiming to analyse different kinds of advertisements and identity themes within these related to gender. I am aiming to find out if the way gender is used to advertise various products is consistent or varies between products/services.
I feel that fashion and beauty adverts are all very similar in that they usually have a sexual theme. with males showing dominance. The photography is rarely left without digital manipulation. Software is primarily used to edit body image, fitting it to the standards of the industry, no blemishes are to be seen. With this manipulation and sexual suggestion, it gives the public the idea that you are only sexually attractive if you meet the physical standards set by the industry.  As you can see from the adverts below, the models featured tend to either be wearing nothing or very little - again supporting the idea that sex sells, often this nudity has very little relevance to the product but this technique remains successful in selling a product through adverts.

HOUSEHOLD

Although Gauntlett expressed that he felt advertising agencies no longer use gender stereotypes in advertising apart from the exceptions such as iceland, the stereotypes in my opinion still have a strong presence particularly in household related advertising. Cleaning adverts very rarely feature a male, promoting the 1950s stereotype of housewives. You can see in the images below that children promote the stereotype that women are the mothers whilst men are the breadwinners. Even when a male is introduced in character form (Mr Muscle) he is seen as the powerful one, who is able to tackle anything he comes up against, he is muscular and strong even though this is a cartoon this remains a subtle hint. We find the woman helplessly unable to clean until the male character comes to her aid. I feel that the cartoon approach is aiming to come across as friendly whilst hiding its stereotypes underneath. The issues are even prominent in food advertising, this does not always contain people, but when it does, the women is commonly advertised as being in charge of food, as you can see from the Burger King advert below she is advertised as being more prepared to give food to her children - promoting the stereotype of women being the only parent figuire as well as the cook.