Average-Size Guys Are Fine, Thanks

SMH says: A report in the Australian journal Body Image has found that consumers respond positively to depictions of average-sized men in advertising. The survey asked over 600 students in their late teens to look at mock-up advertisements for products, some using muscle-bound men and others using thinner or chubbier male models. The results showed that the “buffed” models didn’t rate any higher than average guys. Neither sex responded more Read More …

Should I Overanalyse Old Spice Or Just Buy It?

Meet the latest successful viral marketing campaign. It’s from Old Spice who have created a collection of odd yet very amusing commercials for their products. This one made me giggle… and then I had to re-watch it to try and spot the joins between each special effect (I couldn’t). So one could analyse this commercial and critique what it has to say about being male, “lady smells” and the whole Read More …

30 Seconds Of The Female Gaze

This is an ad for Diet Coke from the 90s. Now, I abhor Diet Coke but this ad almost makes me forgive it for all its sins. That’s because this ad is a showcase for the female gaze – the idea of shooting from a woman’s point of view. Yes, it’s only advertising, but think about how often ads assume the viewer is male and trot out the standard bikini Read More …

Naked Men Are Everywhere In Gay Advertising

I sometimes muse about the way that the nude male body is hidden from public view, but the female form is considered to be public property. Apparently this is not the case in the gay community. MCV has a piece discussing the fact that advertisers targeting gay men almost always resort to using beefcake to sell their wares. Doesn’t matter what the product is, chances are it will be accompanied Read More …

Sexist Advertising

The Daily Mail has a great selection of old print ads from when women knew their place and advertising was happy to say so. They’re from the book You Mean A Woman Can Open It?: The Woman’s Place In The Classic Age Of Advertising. The ad above was from 1952 and accompanied by the text: “Is your coffee pressure packed for extra freshness? If hubby can tell you’re not making Read More …