Comparison and Contrast - TV Commercial Analysis - Essay Example

The ability to attract the opposite sex gives an individual a unique sense of happiness and confidence, which perhaps provide a boost to his success. Hence this concept of beauty has now been extended to men as well especially with metro sexuality in vogue. Despite some ethical arguments, the advertisements of fairness creams and products have been popular amongst the Asians and almost all beauty brands have catered to this segment with the help of fairness lotions and creams. The recent ‘Emami Fair & Handsome’ TV commercial has been taken up as the exhibit to be analyzed in order to depict how good looks can change one’s lifestyle and even career almost overnight.

The idea of using such products is no longer a female’s domain. The advertisement depicts girls admiring fair looks in their man of choice rather than vice versa. The paper will therefore bring up a comparison of how the male models and female models are presented in terms of their movements and reactions to the product advertised and using icons like the reputed Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan makes this larger than life truth more convincing. In my opinion, such advertisements have managed to ease out the gender differences in terms of concepts of looks.

A young girl was supposed to be fair in order to gain attention of his male partner as portrayed in previous fairness advertisements but this commercial promotes the metro sexual image of a man where the skin color would play a similar role. Irrespective of gender differences, fairness of the skin promises to change one’s a) public image which decides success and b) look that gives confidence, but c) promotes discrimination on grounds of racism The main idea promoted by the 60 seconds television advertisement is the fact that fairness, which has once been, portrayed as a requirement for the female and dark skin a shame is now applicable even for men.

However using such products or looking fair does not take away their manliness and hence gone is the concept of ‘tall, dark and handsome’. The advertisement here portrays Shahrukh Khan enacting a film scene where he fights with sword and even rescues a woman, portraying chivalry. The woman is struck by the glow of his skin and stares at him. When he enters amidst a big crowd of audience, people especially the girls, cheer for him. They almost rush and gather around him. While walking down the carpet, he notices a dark skinned young boy staring in awe at the actor.

All the young girls are flocking to the middle aged icon with glowing fairness instead of the young boy who looks amazed at his popularity. He is a little shy because of his dark skin and hence does not have the confidence to mingle with the others and enjoy like them. His dark skin also seems too dark which makes him stand out from the crowd and nobody seems to notice him apart from the actor. As the boy watches his icon’s popularity and ability to perform like the hero as well as be the girls’ favorite outside his shoot, he is ashamed of his dark skin and this is identified by the icon who hands over the secret of his success, the ‘Emami Fair & Handsome’ facial cream which changes his fate instantly.

The next scene finds the boy with a fair skin and he walks down the carpet like his icon with beautiful female models running towards him and embracing him. Everything seems like a dream come true and at this point it is difficult to recognize any difference between reality and illusion