Advertising: Score case study
We have already studied the changing representation of women in advertising but there is no doubt that the portrayal of men and masculinity has also changed significantly too.
Our first advertising CSP, the 1967 Score hair cream advert, provides a compelling case study for the representation of both men and women.
Notes from the lesson and the blog task are below.
Hypermasculinity in advertisingHypermasculinity is defined as: a psychological term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behaviour, such as an emphasis on physical strength, aggression, and sexuality.
Advertising in the 1950s-1980s often featured a hypermasculine representation of men – and some representations in the media today still continue this.
Gelfer: Changing masculinity in advertising
Joseph Gelfer, a director of masculinity research, suggests that the way masculinity is represented in advertising is changing. Looking at advertising over the last 20 years:
“Previously, masculinity was mostly presented in one of two ways: either a glamorous James Bond-style masculinity that attracted ‘the ladies’, or a buffoon-style masculinity that was firmly under the wifely thumb.
Thankfully, and somewhat belatedly, things are beginning to change.” (Gelfer, 2017)
Gelfer: Five stages of Masculinity
Gelfer suggests there are five stages of masculinity – how people perceive and understand what it means to be a man.
Stage 1: “unconscious masculinity” – traditional view of men
Stage 2: “conscious masculinity” – as above but deliberate
Stage 3: “critical masculinities” – feminist; socially constructed
Stage 4: “multiple masculinities” – anyone can be anything
Stage 5: “beyond masculinities” – it doesn’t exist
Gelfer says advertisers need to think about how their target audience views men and masculinity when creating campaigns.
Masculinity in crisis? David Gauntlett
Media theorist David Gauntlett has written extensively on gender and identity. He disagrees with the popular view that masculinity is ‘in crisis’:
“Contemporary masculinity is often said to be 'in crisis'; as women become increasingly assertive and successful… men are said to be anxious and confused about what their role is today.”
Instead, Gauntlett suggests that many modern representations of masculinity are “about men finding a place for themselves in the modern world.” He sees this as a positive thing. (Gauntlett, 2002)
Score hair cream advert: CSP context
The Score hair cream advert is an historical artefact from 1967. It should be examined by considering its historical, social and cultural contexts, particularly as it relates to gender roles, sexuality and the historical context of advertising techniques.
Context: 1967 can be seen as a period of change in the UK with legislation on (and changing attitudes to) the role of women – and men – in society. Produced in the year of decriminalisation of homosexuality and three years before the 1970 Equal Pay Act, the representation of gender could be read as signalling more anxiety than might first appear. The reference to colonialist values can also be linked to social and cultural contexts of the ending of Empire.
Blog task: Score advert and wider reading
Complete the following tasks and wider reading on the Score hair cream advert and masculinity in advertising.
Media Factsheet - Score hair cream
Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #188: Close Study Product - Advertising - Score. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) How did advertising techniques change in the 1960s and how does the Score advert reflect this change?
In 1960s promoting systems were introduced a period of new and spearheading publicizing strategies. As indicated by AdAge , promoting organizations during the 1960s depended less on statistical surveying and inclined more toward imaginative intuition in arranging their crusades. Score mirrors this advert change by as it centers around sex jobs, sexuality then the genuine item, as it fortifies how ladies were found during the 1960s to be generalized as appeared in this advert, as they gaze toward the man and is carriyng him, which demonstrates that men were progressively overwhelming.
2) What representations of women were found in post-war British advertising campaigns?
the utilization of mise-en-scene is compelling in this advert. The utilization of setting is successful in this advert as it was set in a wilderness scene which shows how Britain controlled and possessed early the entire world.
3) Conduct your own semiotic analysis of the Score hair cream advert: What are the connotations of the mise-en-scene in the image?
Another way mise-en-scene has been utilized in a viable manner in this advert is, the utilization of props. In this advert he is holding a weapon which fortifies his predominance over ladies, and strengthens the sexual orientation jobs during the 1960s. the firearm speaks to the manly idea of men in the public arena around then. Additionally , the utilization of the royal position recommends how the man is the leader over ladies, as they are more commands over the ladies,
Besides, another way mise-en-scene is utilized in this advert is using garments. The ladies seem to wear negligible garments, for instance short skirts and yield tops. This fortifies ladies' mentality, as Angela McRobbie states about ladies ,McRobbie features the engaging idea of magazines, for example, Cosmopolitan and Glamor,. likewise they are made to wear small attire for the male look.
4) What does the factsheet suggest in terms of a narrative analysis of the Score hair cream advert?
The Score advert distinguishes the man as Propp's 'saint' in this account. The picture gathers that he is 'celebrated' as the seeker defender of his 'clan'. The veneration – and accessibility – of the females are his reward for such manly undertakings. This has an unmistakable intrigue to the intended interest group of (more youthful) guys who might relate to the male and seek to have a similar status offered on him. Additionally, the possibility of ladies being explicitly accessible and falling at the feet of a man is reverberated in this advert. The possibility of ladies being explicitly accessible and falling at the feet of a man is resounded in the long running arrangement of Lynx antiperspirant plugs that kept running for most of the mid twentieth century.
5) How might an audience have responded to the advert in 1967? What about in 2019?
during the 1960s the advert would be viewed as typical for that timespan yet in 2019 the advert would have analysis as it is typifying ladies to discover a man.
6) How does the Score hair cream advert use persuasive techniques (e.g. anchorage text, slogan, product information) to sell the product to an audience?
The utilization of mooring content to impact "men" who see this advert, is successful by the appealing trademark which draws in the group of onlookers individuals that on the off chance that you purchase this gel, every one of the ladies will be after you and need you.
7) How might you apply feminist theory to the Score hair cream advert - such as van Zoonen, bell hooks or Judith Butler?
Van Zoonen was keen on the delights female gatherings of people took from ladies' magazines that were vigorously scrutinized by increasingly extreme 1970s style women's activist. she was one of the key figure in the third wave women's liberation close by scholars, for example, Butler and McRobbie.
8) How could Stuart Hall's theory of representation and David Gauntlett's theory regarding gender identity be applied to the Score hair cream advert?
The favored perusing in this advert is that in the event that you purchase this gel you will almost certainly get any young lady you need however fortify the sex jobs in the public eye in which, that men are predominant. The Oppositional perusing is that ladies are being generalized for the male look and seen as articles.
9) What representation of sexuality can be found in the advert and why might this link to the 1967 decriminalisation of homosexuality (historical and cultural context)?
A portrayal of sexuality that could be found in this advert is that the man is being minded by five females in least garments yet in addition as hair cream may have been viewed as a ladylike item back in that timeframe so they caused this advert to appear that each man can utilize it.
10) How does the advert reflect Britain's colonial past - another important historical and cultural context?
This advert mirrors Britain's frontier past for instance, the male assumes the job of the her. The Score advert pursues a comparative account as it is a wilderness setting, the weapon, the royal position all construe that the white western male has been effective in battling and controlled about the entire world.
Wider reading
The Drum: This Boy Can article
Read this article from The Drum magazine on gender and the new masculinity. If the Drum website is blocked, you can find the text of the article here. Think about how the issues raised in this article link to our Score hair cream advert CSP and then answer the following questions:
1) Why does the writer suggest that we may face a "growing 'boy crisis'"?
The essayist propose that we may confront a "developing 'kid emergency's since they don't generally discuss their issues or issues and when they do they are advised to man up and manage any emergency of certainty themselves. a bigger number of men than ladies carry out suicide and are bound to leave school and arrangement sedates and get included mind wrongdoing.
2) How has the Axe/Lynx brand changed its marketing to present a different representation of masculinity?
As Lynx/Ax found when it attempted an enormous scale examine venture into current male character, men are longing for a progressively assorted meaning of being an 'effective' man in 2016, and to alleviate the tenacious weight on them to fit in with choking, old ideal models. This understanding prompted the progression change 'Locate Your Magic' crusade from the previous terrible kid brand.
3) How does campaigner David Brockway, quoted in the article, suggest advertisers "totally reinvent gender constructs"?
The needs men to be displayed doing commonplace things ladies do cliché and the equivalent goes for females so sex is reevaluated
4) How have changes in family and society altered how brands are targeting their products?
Lynx/Ax lets it be known had been depending on suspicions before its repositioning. It was just when deals development hindered that the brand chose to put resources into some appropriate research.
5) Why does Fernando Desouches, Axe/Lynx global brand development director, say you've got to "set the platform" before you explode the myth of masculinity?
Ladies have woman's rights. Be that as it may, men don't realize they are wiped out. This is the reason we have to put men nearby ladies, not move them to the side to offer space to ladies. The two sexual orientations should be in the middle."
Campaign: Why brands need to change
Read this Campaign article on Joseph Gelfer and why brands need to change their approach to marketing masculinity. If the Campaign website is blocked, you can find the text of the article here. Think about how the article relates to our work on gender and advertising then answer the following questions:
1) What are two ways advertising traditionally presented masculinity and why does the writer Joseph Gelfer suggest this needs to change
Stage 1: "Oblivious Masculinity" - Traditional perspective on men.
Stage 2: "Cognizant Masculinity" - As above however conscious.
Stage 3: "Basic Masculinities" - Feminist, socially developed.
Stage 4: "Different Masculinities" - Anyone can be anything.
Stage 5: "Past Masculinities" - It doesn't exist.
2) What are the five stages of masculinity?
I think I am organize 3 as I am mindful that manliness is socially built which is additionally through web based life and the more seasoned age. likewise despite everything I trust that there should even now be women's activist as the more established age stills trusts men are not rise to females.
3) What stage of masculinity do you feel you are at in terms of your views of gender and identity? You can read more about the five stages of masculinity here.
The score advert was going for Stage 1: which is "Conventional perspective on men"
4) What stage of masculinity was the Score advert aiming at in 1967?
5) Why are the stages of masculinity important for companies and advertisers when targeting an audience?
in the event that the organizations and promoters are straightforwardly focusing on Stage 1 on the off chance that manliness, at that point it would get a ton of awful media consideration as the organization doesn't trust in balance so in this manner individuals wont purchase their items.
