perspective
september 2013
In fact the advertising world has created stereotype of women in two categories. For a men’s product, a woman is a prize, who is impressed or drawn upon by the possession of the product by the man. In the women section again, especially in the Indian scenario the women is seen as a house maker, and the use of the product would entail her the appreciation of the family (or husband in the growing nuclear family) and fill her with a sense of fulfilment of her duty, or the product would enhance her beauty or other bodily, cosmetic part drawing the awe of friends and gaze of men. On paper this sounds harmless and it is. Men attracted to women is a reality of life, and true, we always try to impress the other sex, through actions or otherwise. But it is the excess that creeps into the system that creates fissures in the society.
The same fate was faced by this ad of Calvin Klein Jeans in Australia that boasted of being daring.
Below are some of the ads run by famous companies:
This advertisement in Dolce & Gabbana was retracted after the people complained that it glorified gang rape.
Almost 76% of women in India and one out of six women in America are victims of sexual assault. The stats are appallingly higher in many other countries. Yet advertisers often make light of sexual violence towards women. They disguise it as innuendo, humour or artistic expression and hope the shock factor will work promotional magic for their product. The marketers describe it as edgy fantasy scenarios and often point to some psychological results to their benefit. Many times the shock or the outrage factor works in their favour. As they say no publicity is bad publicity. In fact the controversy surrounding the products, spread like wildfire on the cyber space and the impact is created. All of a sudden the product is imprinted in everyone’s mind.
This American Apparel ad was banned as being too suggestive.
MARKATHON
8
IIM Shillong