Advertising: The representations of women in advertising

Alezey

THE REPRESENTATIONS OF WOMEN IN ADVERTISING

Academic reading: A Critical Analysis of Progressive Depictions of Gender in Advertising
Read these extracts from an academic essay on gender in advertising by Reena Mistry. This was originally published in full in David Gauntlett's book 'Media, Gender and Identity'. Then, answer the following questions:

1) How does Mistry suggest advertising has changed since the mid-1990s?

Mistry says that since the mid-1990s advertising has started using more images where gender and sexual orientation are “markedly (and purposefully) ambiguous.” There are also more “distinctly homosexual images” that are not just the “camp gay” used as comic relief. She suggests these depictions might undermine “conventional gender role stereotypes” and the “norm of heterosexuality.”

2) What kinds of female stereotypes were found in advertising in the 1940s and 1950s?

Women were shown in very traditional roles. After the war, the “feminine mystique” made women believe their highest value was “keeping house and raising children.” Advertising focused on their “domestic role” and suggested success as a wife and mother could be bought through products like washing machines and instant cake mix. Women were also shown as passive, innocent and waiting for “Mr. Right.”

3) How did the increasing influence of clothes and make-up change representations of women in advertising?

When clothes and make-up became more important, women were shown as “decorative (empty) objects.” In perfume adverts, they were presented as the “fair maiden,” delicate and like flowers. They were shown as sensual but passive, waiting to be “awakened” by a man. Women were encouraged to use commodities to “aid femininity,” which made them more objectified.

4) Which theorist came up with the idea of the 'male gaze' and what does it refer to?

The “male gaze” was created by Laura Mulvey. It means that looking is seen as a male activity and women are shown as objects to be looked at. Women are constructed as a “spectacle” for male voyeuristic pleasure, so they are passive and exist to be watched.

5) How did the representation of women change in the 1970s?

In the 1970s, the “New Woman” appeared. She was shown as “independent, confident and assertive” and finding satisfaction in work and recreation. This was linked to the women’s movement and the “changing reality of women’s social position.” Women were shown as active and working, not just housewives.

6) Why does van Zoonen suggest the 'new' representations of women in the 1970s and 1980s were only marginally different from the sexist representations of earlier years?

van Zoonen says the New Woman only “departs marginally” from traditional stereotypes. Even though women were shown as working, they were still focused on appearance. For example, the woman in the office is shown walking confidently but is “not portrayed actually working.” So the idea of independence is superficial and doesn’t really challenge male power.

7) What does Barthel suggest regarding advertising and male power?

Barthel suggests that even when women seem powerful or sexual, they do not really threaten male power. Women can “storm the bastions of male power” but only if they show they are still “all woman” and that no serious gender defection has happened. So male power is still safe.

8) What does Richard Dyer suggest about the 'femme fatale' representation of women in adverts such as Christian Dior make-up?

Dyer says that adverts trying to show “liberation” often get it wrong. They equate liberation with “aggressive sexuality” and “coy sexiness.” So the woman still becomes a spectacle and believes she is “liberated,” but she is still fitting into male expectations.

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Media Magazine: Beach Bodies v Real Women (MM54)

Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature on Protein World's controversial 'Beach Bodies' marketing campaign in 2015. Read the feature and answer the questions below

1) What was the Protein World 'Beach Bodies' campaign and why was it controversial?

The Protein World ‘Beach Body Ready?’ campaign (2015) was a billboard advert for a weight-loss supplement. It showed a very slim, toned model in a bikini with the slogan asking women if they were “beach body ready.” It was controversial because many people felt it promoted unrealistic body standards and suggested that only one type of body is acceptable. It was seen as body-shaming and reinforcing narrow beauty ideals. 

2) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?

The Dove Real Beauty campaign, launched by Dove in 2004, aimed to challenge traditional beauty standards. Instead of using supermodels, it featured “real women” of different ages, body shapes and ethnicities. The message was about body confidence and self-esteem. It tried to move away from the idea that women must look perfect and instead promoted “real beauty.”

3) How has social media changed the way audiences can interact with advertising campaigns? 

Social media means audiences are no longer passive. People can instantly comment, share, criticise and even organise protests. In the Protein World case, people used platforms like Twitter and Instagram to challenge the advert and create counter-messages. This shows that audiences now have more power and can publicly reject or reinterpret adverts, instead of just accepting them.

4) How can we apply van Zoonen's feminist theory and Stuart Hall's reception theory to these case studies?

van Zoonen argues that media representations are shaped by patriarchal ideology and often present women as objects linked to beauty and sexuality. The Protein World advert fits this because it focuses on a slim, sexualised female body and suggests women must change themselves to meet beauty standards. Even though it looks modern, it still reinforces traditional ideas about female appearance.

The Dove campaign could be seen as more progressive, but van Zoonen would argue it is still part of consumer culture — it still sells products by focusing on women’s appearance, just in a softer way.

Hall’s reception theory says audiences can read media texts in different ways: dominant, negotiated or oppositional. Some people may have accepted the Protein World message (dominant reading), but many took an oppositional reading and rejected it as sexist and unrealistic. This backlash shows how audiences actively interpret adverts rather than just absorbing the message.

5) Through studying the social and historical context of women in advertising, do you think representations of women in advertising have changed in the last 60 years?

I think representations have changed, but not completely. In the 1950s, women were shown mainly as housewives and focused on their “domestic role.” Now, women are shown as independent, confident and career-focused. However, there is still a strong focus on appearance and body image. Campaigns like Dove show progress, but adverts like Protein World show that unrealistic beauty standards are still common. So overall, there has been change, but gender stereotypes haven’t fully disappeared — they have just become more subtle.