Advertising and Stereotype Essay

Introduction: Good morning Ms McCurdy and class, everyday, from watching TV program to reading magazines, we are amazed with a big range of advertisements. Businesses spend heaps of money on creating advertisements to promote their products. Promoters not only create the advertise technique, symbolic and written codes but also stereotypes, which are commonly used. Stereotype is everywhere and usually majority focuses on woman. In ancient world, they usually stereotype woman as the person always stands behind men’s back but nowadays, woman often said to become stronger and successful. I have chosen an ad, which advertises for Maybelline lipstick products. The ad is a typically example to analyse about the stereotypical strong, successful and beautiful woman. Brief analysis symbolic aspects: The ad is made up of two parts, the left hand side and the right hand side. On the left hand side is a female model with a big brown pair of glasses, who is using Maybelline lipstick. And on the right hand side is the feature of the actual products and some of its introduction. As you may notice the setting, the ad is not divided into 2 equal halves but 1/3 and 2/3. When drawing or designing, designers usually avoid dividing their graphic because it will make the picture balanced and there is no focus point. If the designer makes the picture of model and the products equals, the readers would not pay attention on neither left hand side nor right hand side. Further more, we, readers usually tend to look at a subject from left to right. That’s why the designer arranges the model on the left and products on the right. So that when we look at the ad, we will eventually espy on the model’s lips with shiny colour and after that, a question immediately jumps into our heads is why her lips look so attractive. The answer will be revealed when we see the liquid glossy lip colour on the right hand side. This technique is called â€Å"transfer†, which is an idea that suggests us the positive qualities. As well as that, we might see that the model is wearing glasses. She must want to be fashionable but she wears light make up. Why.. She must put on mass of make up to be more attractive. The reason is because the producers want us to pay attention on her lips and the eyes are said to be the windows to soul. Therefore, they will attract more attention than the lips do, they should cover the eyes, so that we will focus on her dazzle lips. On the right bottom corner is the product in which the promoter is trying to persuade their customers to buy. Placing it beyond the pink bubble, it denotes that Maybelline lip colour is magical and there are many different colours. Colour is also an â€Å"ingredient† of a catchy advertisement. It is one of the major strategies in drawing the target audience’s eyes towards the design space, and then appealing their emotions to buy their products. Brown is a warm neutral colour. It presents for steadfastness, simplicity, friendliness, dependability and health. They choose brown as the main colour to match with the colour of products and model natural skin. Every feature such as glasses cloth and model make up all match with the brown background. Brown is believed to connote a kind, strong and determined woman. Technical Aspects: The ad applied low camera angle since they try to stereotype a powerful and successful woman. Additionally, her posture and gesture also affect the success of the ad. If the model is smiling brightly, it will reflect that the product make you look cute rather than sexy. If the model’s face is on eye-level, the ad has nothing mysterious or seductive. Words: Moreover, language is also a significant point that contributes into a good ad. On the top right hand side of the ad, there is a sentence that written in white capital letter said: â€Å"At the click of a wand! Concentrated shine perfectly defined fall under its spell† They use metaphor in this sentence. The lipstick is said to be a magic wand that when you click it, the shiny liquid from it will fall on your lips like you make a spell on it. I think Maybelline has an impressive slogan. It is â€Å"maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline†. Really? Can you be born with a brown shiny dazzle lips? Can you be born with mass of make up, that call Maybelline. No, you cant, the producer uses another pun here, where it uses hyperbole to say that woman need cosmetic to fulfill and maintain their beauty. Stereotypes have been used: This advertisement stereotype a feisty woman, who still look beautiful even she wears plain make up. However, she still needs to wear lipstick to maintain her exquisiteness. The stereotype in this ad is appropriate for woman, who is in age of 25 – 30 because they usually be said as grow-up woman, they experience the life and become stronger but they are still woman indeed, still want to take care of their beauty along with the time is gone. Effectiveness of the advertisement and the sale pitch: The question that advertisement create towards target audiences is should they buy this products or not? What are their advantages if they purchase it? The promoter saying that if you buy the products, you will be noticeable in the crowd without being called a â€Å"plastic doll† with expensive cloth and â€Å"heavy† make up on your face that hide your true person. I believe that this Maybelline’s lip colours advertisement is very effective in numerous ways, like hiring an international model, Deepika Padukone, to be the ‘perfect woman’ in the design space. She is glamorous with her natural brown skin. This is a good ad, which stereotype another view-point of people towards female, where female is no longer weak and depend on male but determine and successful. Conclusion: In conclusion, not all females are seductive and a subservient object for men but I believe that everyone has their feisty heart and the beauty inside them. Stereotypes are assumption; they are not 100 % true. So don’t let it make you feel bad or not good enough compare to other people.