Advertising: The representations of women 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?
Advertising began showing more independent, confident and career-focused women rather than only domestic or passive roles.

2) What kinds of female stereotypes were found in advertising in the 1940s and 1950s?
Women were shown as housewives, mothers and homemakers whose main role was pleasing husbands and caring for the home.

3) How did the increasing influence of clothes and make-up change representations of women in advertising?
Women became represented more as objects of beauty and glamour, with focus placed on appearance and attractiveness.

4) Which theorist came up with the idea of the 'male gaze' and what does it refer to?
Laura Mulvey — the male gaze refers to women being presented as sexual objects for male viewers’ pleasure.

5) How did the representation of women change in the 1970s?
Women were shown as more independent and working outside the home, reflecting feminist social changes.

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?
Because women were still judged mainly by appearance and sexuality despite seeming more independent.

7) What does Barthel suggest regarding advertising and male power?
Advertising reinforces male dominance by presenting women as decorative or subordinate to men.

8) What does Richard Dyer suggest about the 'femme fatale' representation of women in adverts such as Christian Dior make-up?
The femme fatale shows women as powerful but dangerous, maintaining male control by portraying female power as threatening.

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 in the same blogpost as the questions above.

1) What was the Protein World 'Beach Bodies' campaign and why was it controversial?
The 2015 Protein World campaign showed a slim bikini model with the slogan “Are you beach body ready?” on London Underground posters. It was controversial because many people argued it promoted unrealistic beauty standards and body-shaming. The advert received hundreds of complaints, protests and viral social media backlash. 

2) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?
The Dove Real Beauty campaign (launched in 2004) aimed to challenge traditional beauty stereotypes by showing women of different body shapes, ages and appearances, promoting confidence rather than unrealistic ideals. 

3) How has social media changed the way audiences can interact with advertising campaigns? 
Social media allows audiences to instantly respond, criticise and share opinions about adverts. In the Protein World case, hashtags, online petitions and viral posts helped organise protests and publicly challenge the campaign.

4) How can we apply van Zoonen's feminist theory and Stuart Hall's reception theory to these case studies?van Zoonen: The Protein World advert reflects continued sexualisation of women’s bodies, showing how advertising still reinforces patriarchal beauty standards. Dove challenges this by promoting diversity.

Stuart Hall – Reception theory: Audiences interpreted the advert differently — some accepted it as aspirational, while others produced an oppositional reading, seeing it as sexist and harmful.

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?
Yes — women are now more often shown as independent and diverse. However, the Protein World controversy shows that appearance and body ideals still strongly influence advertising, meaning change has occurred but inequality in representation still exists.