MEN IN THIS TOWN

The idea of masculinity has taken form in different shapes over the years of advertising. Advertising is powerful enough to create and install ideas into our minds about what it means into be 'masculine'; creating notions of what a man should look like, feel and how he should behave. In the early footsteps of advertising, stereotypical masculine traits have always been imposed onto the audience, reinforcing what we have been taught. Advertising successfully echoes the idea of Essentialism, where people have predisposed actions, thoughts and beliefs due to various reasons such as upbringing, gender, race and all other cultural factors. This then shapes the way the audience view and interpret different media, based on their background and what emotions are evoked. Advertisers then successfully manipulate these factors to appeal to the majority of an audience. 

Source: (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/566116615638547997/)

From the early eighties until the nineties, Camel produced adverts with the simple slogan of "Where A Man Belongs." The model featured was particularly rugged and unlike the slim, trim models of today. This was a series of images, where he had faced adversity in the wild, like a lone wolf on his journey. In exotic locales, the Camel man walked by himself, trading the brand on accessible exoticism and masculinity. The idea and messages of this campaign is particularly similar to those of the Frontier Thesis (1893) where life is about taming the unknown, discovering, voyaging, exploring and risk taking. Camel instils the idea that to be man, he must reflect a similar lifestyle to the man portrayed. During this time, advertisers portrayed a type of stoic masculinity which was although fashionable, felt undeniably stagnant. 'The concept of multiple masculinities tends to produce a static typology.' as argued by R. W. Connell and James W. (2005).

And as the years went on, with the 'Camel' man left to roam the wilderness alone, advertising has since adapted to new social changes and environments. The perception of masculinity has changed. As Collinson and Hearn (1994) predicted 'the concept of masculinity is blurred and is uncertain in its meaning', this is particularly true when advertising today is analysed; the different types of images of men vary, from ethnicities to age, to questionable sexuality. Versace's latest advertisement for their Dylan Blue fragrance certainly challenges the typical ideas of masculinity. The brand teamed with Bruce Weber, a famous fashion image and video director known for his long-line of homo-erotic advertising style, with a portfolio bursting full of chiseled jaw-lines and godly abdomen muscles.



Source: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDOvpNdn8sI)

The fragrance ad doesn't shy away from opposing the typical idea towards masculinity. Although the models featured look and behave in a masculine way, there is a strong scent of homo-eroticism, as they are showered in water and wrestle around with each other. However, it can be argued that this is the new wave of masculinity, a wave which shows young men who care about appearance and are proud of their metrosexuality. Speaking on the Versace man, Donatella says "I have always believed men should be strong, passionate, proud, expressive and unafraid”. And it's not only Versace who has uncovered this advertising formulae, many other brands are showing this new side of masculinity to appeal to a younger, more open-minded and curious demographic. Comparing the type of man presented by Camel, the Versace man is also an explorer, a thrill-seeker, just that along-side the pack of Turkish cigarettes in his bag, he also carries a 50ml of Dylan Blue.

References

Frederick Jackson, T., (1893), The frontier in American history, Dover Publications, New York
R. W. Connell and James W. Messerschmidt., (2005), Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept, Sage Publications, California

D. Collinson and J. Hearn ., (1994), Naming Men as Men: Implications for Work, Organization and Management, Basil Blackwell,Oxford

LADIES FIRST

In the heyday of the 1960s, where women played a small role in the offices of advertising, it was women splashed across the billboards, selling the latest American cadillacs that was unfortunately, more iconic and more influential. In advertising, women have always been apart of messages and codes for audiences to decode and to understand. Advertisers, particularly those in the past, have tried to sell a lifestyle. And women naturally play a role, because they represent sex to the target audience of men. Referencing Judith Williamson's theory on Decoding Advertisements (2010) If they can create a link between the abstraction which is women, to the equivalence that is the product, then the reification is that the product is more than just an item; it is a shining beacon of a new lifestyle. Let's take a look at Ford's 1969 advert for their "Thunderbird' model.

Source: (http://mycarquest.com/2014/12/car-advertisements-and-beautiful-women.html)

The advert features the car under a warm sunset, perching atop exotic sand dunes. The USP of the car is the sunroof, where a romantic couple embrace each other as they look into the distance. In the background, we see the silhouette and curves of a woman, presumably the partner of the male model, who extends her arm into the sky, clutching her sunglasses. It has been constructed that the curves of the woman are made to look like mountains in the distance, connoting her as paradise and mythical. The advert has connotations of luxuriousness and feels exotic, as though they are on a romantic getaway. And whilst the woman is a mere prop, staring vacantly into the distance, it is the man who looks directly towards the audience; portraying him as strong and confident. This echoes Berger's (1972) Ways of Seeing, where women in paintings looked into the distance, whilst men looked at the audience in the eye. It can then be argued that, this is the lifestyle that can be offered to men if they buy the Thunderbird. A life of romantic holidays, embracing women in the sunlight and travelling across the world in your Ford. Colour also plays a key role in this advert, with the romantic hues of reds, oranges and pinks to create a parallel relationship between the message of the advert. As Judith Williamson (2010) wrote, "Use of colour is simply a technique, used primarily in pictorial advertising, to make correlations between a product and other things."

Fast-forward a couple of years and introducing rule-breaking, norm-defying creatives. Women have been portrayed in a different light. They are no longer passive, distance-staring props, but the leaders and protagonists of their own stories, unlike the theory by Goffman (1979) who said that "Men are ‘do-ers’ whereas women differ to masculine strength; women tend to put finger to mouth like children – bright eyed, transfixed and puzzled." But that's not to say that there are still some corners of advertising where women are still being objectified, still using their bodies and sexuality to sell messages to both men and women. For men, women can be used as persuasive devices; if you buy Victoria Secret's latest push-up bra, your girlfriend might just look like Adriana Lima or if you purchase Lynx's new body spray, women will throw themselves at you. And for women, women in advertising can be used for aspirational value, with the purchase of Crème de La Mer's iconic night creme, you could look young for eternity. Though it is rare, there is a new wave of feminist, female-empowering advertising that break the conventional role of women. The 'This Girl Can' campaign, powered by The National Lottery is a 'celebration of active women are doing their thing, no matter how well they do it, how they look or even how red their face gets.' The video dropped in early 2015, showing a broad spectrum of different ethnicities, ages and shapes of women. They all work out fearlessly, sweating, with lines such as 'I kick balls. Deal with it.' as motivation for women watching at home.

Source: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsP0W7-tEOc)

And while there are some adverts today which still feature women and their sexuality as props and messages, there are others that portray women as strong and inspiring. Despite these adverts being rare, it is these campaigns that make a difference and are talked about in the press. Making shockwaves across the nation, and hopefully inspiring women for the right reasons. These are the adverts that are re-writing 'Herstory'.

References

Williamson, J., (2010), Decoding Advertisements: Ideology and Meaning in Advertising, Marion Boyars, London
Berger, J., (1972), Ways of Seeing, Penguin, London

Williamson, J., (2010), Decoding Advertisements: Ideology and Meaning in Advertising, Marion Boyars, London
Goffman, E., (1979), Gender Advertisements, Macmillan, London

BUT, ISN'T ALL WATER THE SAME?

This article will explore the theory of 'Conspicuous Consumption' by Thorstein Veblen (1899) with examples from more affordable brand Buxton, to an exclusive Fiji Water. To some, all water is the same; coming from the same source, produced in a similar way and tasting alike. But to others, the choice of water in your bag could represent who you are. It can be argued that some people enjoy spending money to reflect their status; acquiring luxury goods as a powerful way to flaunting their economic power over someone else. As Berger (1972) says "Money is life. Not in the sense that without money you starve. But in the sense that money is a token of, and the key to, every human capacity. The power to spend money is the power to live." 

And so when it comes to something so common and ordinary as water, why do some people choose higher-priced bottles, and therefore more luxurious brands to quench their thirst? It can be said that advertising plays a key role in how audiences read adverts; in Buxton’s latest video advertisement, they choose humour to appeal to their audience, by playing on common stereotypes which have a preferred reading with the majority. The first shot is a top-down angle, with the focus on a car as it is pulling up at a sunny location. When a passenger appears, the audience initially see his shoes which stomp into the ground, it creates a sense of power and mystery for the audience. It’s then revealed that it’s a team of older men, in their late 60s as they arrive for a game of outdoor bowling. The advert nods to traditional action-genre films, where masculinity is dramatized; walking in slow-motion, clutching onto their weapons, like preparing for a battle. This is then interspersed with shots of gossiping women, looking at the men in awe. With reference to ‘The Male Gaze’ by Laura Mulvey (1975), a Feminist theoretical term representing the gaze of a female viewer or character, the advert shows POV shots of the women, staring at the men in admiration and smiling as they arrive. This effectively portrays the men as hyper-masculine and as though to be respected. This is a simple yet humorous way to advertise water, in the way which it refreshes you and gets you ‘pumped up’ like the men featured.

Source: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaOvmySsfBA)

And while humour is an effective way of appealing to the majority, an advert which talks about heritage and purity can create a more luxurious and exclusive feeling. Fiji’s 2010 TV advert, appeals to an arguably different audience of higher status and wealth. The advert features a silhouette of their iconic bottle which features a blue lake or a waterfall inside it. Outside of the bottle, there is modern scenes, like sky-scrapers from LA, or busy highways. This is then voiced-over by a young child, saying somewhat poignantly “Fiji water is a gift from nature to us, bottled at the source, it’s Earth’s finest water.” Non-diegetic music is then added, sounding like a tribal choir, reinforcing the values of exoticism and rarity. The juxtaposition between the nature shots, surrounded by modern views brings out the beauty of nature and how precious Fiji water tastes - untouched by man. In recent years, with the rise of celebrities and influencers acting as brand ambassadors for environmental charities, there is a trickle down effect (Simmel 1904) where the upper class adopted premium brands that later diffused to subordinate groups. And when Fiji understands to create their brand as eco-friendly, audiences will naturally pursue this to enhance their identity. 

Source: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeF134YMoS0)

And whilst advertising for water wasn't very common 20 years ago, with only a few brands using fitness and gym-toned bodies of the 80s as their theme, it has certainly changed over the years. But even then, most advertising for water has always portrayed an aspirational lifestyle to the audience. A token of identity, a reflection of their lifestyle, even for something as simple as water. As Pardum (2009) asked, "A noble method for improving modern civilisation? Or a questionable process to wrestle money out of the hands of people who can't afford to let it go?" 

References
Veblen, T., (1899), The Theory of the Leisure Class, Penguin, New York
Berger, J., (1972), Ways of Seeing, Penguin, London
Mulvey, L., (1975), Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, Grin, Germany
Simmel, G., (1904), Fashion International Quarterly
Pardum, CJ., ed., (2009), Advertising and Society: Controversies and Consequences, Wiley Blackwell, London