Advertising or advertizing in business is a form of marketing communication used to encourage, persuade, or manipulate an audience (viewers, readers or listeners; sometimes a specific group) to take or continue to take some action. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering.
Wikipedia: Advertising
In Media, students research issues related to ‘body image’ and the visual media’s role in the construction of the ‘ideal body form’, then they identify, analyse and discuss images found in popular magazines that contribute to ‘body image’ issues.
VCAA AusVELS Level 9
Beauty and fashion company Dove released this video in 2006 in an attempt to combat the fashion industry's unrealistic expectations of beauty. The company however came under scrutiny as a result, because after all, Dove is a cosmetics company.
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Then in 2013, Dove released this video. On the company's YouTube channel. The information explains, "Women are their own worst beauty critics. Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful." It is later followed by the statement, "At Dove, we are committed to creating a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety."
Watch the video below.
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In a similar campaign, this short clip shows the power of PhotoShop and how images can be manipulated to convey a very different representation of 'reality' and beauty.
Student photographer, Anna Hill, from Carolina University, has created a series of self-portraits exposing just how deceptive Photoshopped images can be. See the images on the link below.
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The American lingerie label, aerie, has recently taken a positive step in the arena of female representations in the media, by featuring unretouched models in their latest marketing campaign, aerie Real. Taking a stand against “supermodel standards”, their advertising campaign features real women, without the use of Photoshop. Using the slogan, “The real you is sexy”, they are aiming to promote increased self-esteem for their target demographic of 15-21 year-olds.
Take a look at the pictures to the right from the aerie campaign.
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In Colbie Caillat's newest video clip, 'Try', she sets out to make a powerful statement about the unfair beauty ideals evident within the media. The video clip was inspired her own pressure that she felt to look a certain way and be a certain way in the public eye. So instead of succumbing to the pressures of the industry, she did this instead. Take a look!
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But it's not just women...There has been an attempt by brands like Dove and Aerie to expose how the media manipulates images of females, but what about men? Men's bodies are also manipulated in the media causing some men to have unrealistic expectations about how they should look. The Huffington Post asked some of their readers to replicate common underwear advertisements in an attempt to break this mould. See the link below.
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In a world saturated by media content that is always portraying the "ideal", it is refreshing to see young role models paving the way for change. Jennifer Lawrence is one such example, and it's easy to see why she has been labelled a role model for young girls.
In an interview for BBC Newsnight, Jennifer Lawrence discusses the courageous and intelligent female protagonist, Katniss; the character she plays in The Hunger Games franchise. In the interview, J-Law discusses the power of the media industry and the unrealistic expectations of women that have been presented by the media in the past. "We have the ability to control this image that young girls are going to be seeing," Lawrence says. Watch the interview (right) and head to the below link to see a lighthearted review of why Jennifer Lawrence is one of the greatest role models right now. |
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In another interview with Marie Clare magazine, J-Law explains:
'[It] would be hypocritical [of me] to deny that girls take me as an example, and say that I don't have responsibility to them. Because clearly, I have. I know the influence of celebrities on young people. I was a teenager, and I want to send a positive message.' |
Just when we were discussing how great a role model J-Law has been for young girls, the down-to-earth celeb has become a victim of the media's portrayal of women.
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Lorde speaks out about photoshopped imagesAfter finding a Photoshopped image of herself, Lorde made it very clear that she disapproved of the act posting a unedited photo of herself from the same event. On her Twitter feed she wrote;
"I find this curious - two photos from today, one edited so my skin is perfect and one real. remember flaws are ok :-) " If only all celebrities had this attitude.
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SO, WE'RE PHOTOSHOPPING BABIES NOW?As if the debate about Photoshop wasn't big enough already, it's now stepped into new territory.
On a recent visit to Australia Baby Prince George was photographed in the arms of his mother. But, when the photo was used for the front cover of US Weekly, expert Photoshoppers edited the photo to brighten the 9-month-old's eyes, give him more vibrant hair, rosier cheeks, and tanned skin. So where do we draw the line? How much Photoshop is too much? Is it okay to Photoshop a pale looking baby, so that he is more appealing on a front cover? |
WHAT DO STRANGERS THINK OF YOU?The video below offers us a great discussion on how we perceive ourselves, versus how others do. The result is heart-warming.
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Watch The Party's Over advertisement, and answer the following questions:What is the message of the advertisement?
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The Guardian newspaper ad
This advert for the Guardian's open journalism, screened for the first time on the 29th of February 2012. It imagines how the newspaper might cover the story of the Three Little Pigs in print and online. Follow the story from the paper's front page headline, through a social media discussion and finally to an unexpected conclusion.
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The Greatest Movie Ever SoldMorgan Spurlock (the man that created the documentary Super Size Me) brings another documentary. This time it's a documentary about branding, advertising and product placement ... that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement.
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The Gruen TransferThe Gruen Transfer is an Australian show which airs on ABC. The show has a number of segments and essentially discusses the effect and impact of advertising. It has been so successful that two other installments of the show are now running; Gruen Planet and Gruen Nation.
The Pitch is a segment where two agencies compete to sell the unsellable. The agencies are given a product to sell, and within a designated time, have to come up with an advertisement for the product. |