Week 4 EOC: Role of Women in Advertising

Women's roles in advertising is that they must portray a certain kind of women. They need to target what a woman wants and what would appeal to her the most. For example: on Victoria's Secret ad campaigns, it will usually show a woman or women modeling undergarments, which makes the consumer believe that they can feel and look good like those women too.When they see the kind of reactions the models and ads get from people, women want that exact attention and feeling of sexiness. "Victoria Secret somehow I think ‘gets away’ to making their ads offensive because of the type of merchandise they are known for." http://feminism-gender.blogspot.com/2008/03/women-and-their-role-in-advertising.html


"In particular, advertising has been criticized for presenting women as simple-minded, non career orientated, and male-dependent" says an article in regards to the traditional role of women in advertising. http://www.jstor.org/pss/1250235

Using women in a sexual way is nothing new, it is still used in many advertisements you see today and in the past. It's as if they're a prop rather than the main thing. Nudity is often seen among make-up, skin care and hair campaigns. Also, if a woman is by herself in an ad, she will be helpless or defenseless. If she is with a man, it will center more in on the man, using the woman as an accessory.


Women are mostly thought of as the ones who need to be saved, or helped. They appear vulnerable and weak, and when they are put in an advertisement with men, they are usually upstaged or overlooked. Every little detail with a woman in an ad makes the difference of what she's trying to portray or give off. She is showing off a product and using a certain mood to do so. "In most ads, women are made to look as if they are the damsel in distress. Their body positions, their gaze, even their enviornments add to their deficiency." http://knol.google.com/k/gender-roles-in-advertising#