Gender Identities in Tobacco Advertisements from 1945-1990 - Research Paper Example

Gender Identities in Tobacco Advertisements from 1945-1990 Introduction: An advertisement’s primary purpose is to make a consumer buy something thathe or she has never desired to consume in the normal circumstances. Basically, ads purport to inform the consumers and make them aware of newly launched products. Ads have significant influence on consumer’s buying decisions and, therefore, companies rely heavily on aggressive advertising for selling their products and services. Cigarette has always remained a much sought after product of many people and most of them are addicted to it. However, since a wide range of tobacco products is available in the market, the competition always remains stiff. Thus, cigarette manufacturing companies have to always maintain the cutting edge of their marketing operations to stay ahead in competition. Therefore, over the years, cigarette advertisements have evolved dramatically to encompass a wide range of experimentation of different strategies including cultural references, gender differentiation and celebrity endorsement. Tobacco Ad 1940s: Male Female (Tobacco Advertising Themes: For Your Health: To Your Heart’s Content, 2013). (Tobacco Advertising Themes: For Your Health: To Your Heart’s Content, 2013). Male Ad: This 1949 ad of “Embassy,” manufactured by P Lorillard Company, employs the strategy of portraying a well groomed, white collared male for promoting their product (Tobacco Advertising Themes: For Your Health: To Your Heart’s Content 1, 2013). Female Ad: This version of the ad of “Embassy” portrays a classy-looking woman, which appears to be the iconic image women have aspired to become during that time (Tobacco Advertising Themes: For Your Health: To Your Heart’s Content 2, 2013). Discussion: The male ad, released immediately after WW-II, manifests the aspirations of the male gender during that era. The most parts of the Western world have remained in the reconstruction phase in the aftermath of the devastating war, when jobs were in plenty. However, generally, people wanted to settle in white collar jobs and lead a comfortable life. The ad, thus, attempts to attract the consumer by projecting an image that the sophisticated, well-groomed males prefer, Embassy, which stands as a symbol of the “desirable male figure” of the 1940s. The male model, however, connotes to a macho image that borders on roughness which can be construed as a trait attributable to the perception of manliness in the post war era. On the other hand, the female ad, also released in the years immediately following the war, reflects the aspirations of the female gender during that time. The image of the woman in the ad perfectly translates to aspiration of the females living in the post war period, where they aspire for a better outlook and comfortable life. The model enshrines the concepts of beauty and aesthetic appeal as well as embodies the classic style suited for the 1940s conservative image of women. In contrast to the macho roughness of the male model portrayed in the same brand’s ad, the woman has an aura of sleek beauty about her, which compliments the image of the cultured female that has remained as an ideal female concept during that time. Tobacco Ad 1950s: Male Female (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Light, Super: Never a Rough Puff, 2013). (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Light, Super: Never a Rough Puff 8, 2013). Male Ad: The world in general seems to have recovered from the aftershocks of the war as this ad transcends from the post war hangover to celebrity endorsement. Thus, the ad reflects the influence of performing arts in the 1950s society. This ad of “Lucky Strike,” manufactured by American Tobacco Company, employs the strategy of celebrity endorsement by portraying the popular movie/TV “dancer” and “performer” Ray Bolger, a male icon of the 1950s (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Light, Super: Never a Rough Puff, 2013). Female Ad: This version of the ad of “Lucky Strike” also relies on celebrity endorsement, but this time by using a female celebrity, Janet Blair, who is a movie “star” and “performer” (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Light, Super: Never a Rough Puff 8, 2013). Discussion: Both ads deploy the respective genders for promoting the products meant for use by the particular sex. Similarly, both ads rely on celebrity endorsement to promote the light version of the brand by focusing on its trait of negating the “rough puff” (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Light, Super: Never a Rough Puff, 2013). During the 50s, one negative perception that people harboured against cigarettes has been its causing soreness in the throat. Hence, the ad emphasises the notion that this particular brand does not cause any problems to the throat and the male ad stakes the claim that Lucky Strike is smooth and enjoyable. Similarly, the female ad also relies on stressing the aspect of the brand’s mildness, which it purports to have been scientifically proven, and it claims that this cigarette is better than any other brand. A notable feature of the male ad is that it relies heavily on the celebrity’s profession for promoting the brand and compares the smoothness of the cigarette to the elegance of a dance step. The ad also carries different images of Ray Bolger dancing in one of his Broadway hits called, “Where’s Charley?” Thus, the ad focuses on the model’s profession to reach out to the audience and to influence them. On the other hand, the female ad, which also relies on celebrity endorsement by portraying a female actress and performer, does not mention anything about the profession of the model. The ad is set on the serene backdrop of a rather calm ocean, with quiet surf slowly washing ashore and the woman sitting on the shore in a jovial disposition. She is slim and touts short hair and dons a one piece bikini. Thus, overall she represents the aspiration of the females of the 50s who like to project an aura of sophistication and the ad emphasises this aspect in the model to promote the brand. Women’s profession has remained insignificant during that time, due to which the ad remains silent about this aspect. Tobacco Ad 1960s: Male Female (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Smoking in Sports: Baseball, 2013) (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Fresh: Spring Time, 2013) Male Ad: This ad promotes the “Camel” brand, manufactured by R J Reynolds Tobacco Company, and it portrays “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron, “a two time National League” baseball player (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Smoking in Sports: Baseball, 2013). Female Ad: This ad relates to “Salem” brand, also manufactured by R J Reynolds Tobacco Company, but it portrays an unidentified, white female model (Tobacco Advertising Themes, Fresh, Spring Time, 2013). Discussion: The ads in this era portend the socio-political changes during the 60s, with a special focus on the acceptance of Black Americans as equal citizens in the US. In addition, it also portrays the serenity of nature and the transforming facets of women in the society. The male ad portrays a sports icon of the time representing baseball, which is a favourite game in USA as well as other parts of the world. Besides, it uses a Black American model rather than a White mainly to create an impression that the manufactures of this brand promotes racial equality, in the aftermath of the American Civil Rights Movement. In addition, though sports events have remained popular among some women at that time, generally baseball is identified with masculinity and this ad rather boosts the male ego, thus, attempting to influence the male audience with specific appeal of a macho image. The ad also challenges the notion that smoking is not a healthy practice by using a popular sportsman to endorse the product. Thus, the ad deploys a three level strategy of sports, macho and ethnic appeal of the model to influence the consumers. However, the female ad of the late sixties projects an entirely contrasting image basically by its usage of a slender, beautiful, white female as its unidentified model. The ad refers to the serene beauty of the country side of Salem in the spring time and, therefore, deploys a model that evokes the beauty of the lush green in the country side. The ad intends to appeal to mainly the female folks, who may be in the middle and upper middle class, who are educated. The model is shown as a simple female, without much jewellery but is fashionable and trendy in her white attire, bluish-green earrings and neatly braided hair. The ad, thus, focuses on the feminine trait of being fashionable by presenting a sleek model with an aesthetic, trendy outlook. Tobacco Ad 1970s: Male Female (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Psychological Exploits, Angry Ads, 2013). (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Women’s Cigarettes: Virginia Slime before 1989, 2013) Male Ad: This ad promotes the “Winston” brand, manufactured by R J Reynolds Tobacco Company, and its theme is “Psychological Exploits” (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Smoking in Sports: Baseball, 2013). It portrays an unidentified male, with an angry, rugged look. Female Ad: This ad relates to the brand “Virginia Lights,” manufactured by Phillip Morris Tobacco Company and it promotes the theme of “Women’s Cigarettes” Discussion: The ads in the 70s generally demonstrate a shift in the concepts of both masculinity and femininity as can be discerned from the models portrayed in these ads. The male icon has begun to acquire a sort of rugged, angry appeal and the feminine idol seems to embrace the concept of slender and sporty outlook. Another notable change in the ad philosophy is that the female ad boasts of special offers of jump jackets, thus aligning tobacco with sports. The male ad portrays a rugged looking and angry model that seems to symbolise the concept of male during the 1970s. As opposed to the sleek and well-groomed hair style of yester years, the model flaunts long, carelessly brushed hair. There is an aura of unbridled freedom about his countenance, which represents the longing of the male gender in the 70s. Besides, the ad also demonstrates the rebellious nature of males during the era, who have craved a freestyle life. On the other hand, the female ad, using an unidentified woman as the model, combines the cigarette sale with a offer of jump jacket and trousers. As opposed to her male counterpart, the woman has a joyous disposition and a slender, sporty look. While she also sports a hairstyle that matches the male hairdo, her overall countenance is in stark contrast to the angry, rugged appearance of man. It also transpires that the society in general has started welcoming female presence in sports events. Tobacco Ad 1980s: Male Female (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Cultural Icons, Family Pets, 2013) (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Cultural Icons, Family Pets, 2013) Male Ad: This ad promotes “Winston” brand, manufactured by R J Reynolds Tobacco Company, and it portrays an unidentified male model with a Golden Retriever dog, suggesting the theme of “Cultural Icons” and “Family Pets” (Tobacco Advertising Themes, Cultural Icons: Family Pets, 2013). Female Ad: This ad relates to “Herbert Tareyton” brand, manufactured by the American Tobacco Company, portrays an unidentified white female model (Tobacco Advertising Themes, Cultural Icons: Family Pets, 2013). Discussion: The most significant aspect of these ads, representing the 1980s, is that they show a shift in the trend in terms of the inclusion of pets along with the models. This subtly suggests a trend of keeping pets in the human society. Most people, especially those who are affluent tout their pets as status symbols. Highbred dogs the most favourite of the domesticated animals and the tobacco industry, in recognition of this trend, has included pets as cultural icons in their ads. A surgeon’s warning of the health hazards of smoking has also been appended on one of the ads, which suggests that explicit health concerns regarding smoking has begun to appear on tobacco ads during this period. The male ad portrays a dog and its master, without any suggestions on the background on which they are posing. Thus, the entire focus of the ad is the cultural allusion of family pets. The model replicates the male image of the 1980s, which is well groomed and sophisticated. This is a transition from the image of the previous decade that has touted a ruffian and revolutionary look. By avoiding any background reference of the environment in which the models are, the ad seems to emphasise the cultural aspect that the human society considers family pets as a significant part of human life. The man holds a cigarette between the fingers of his right hand, which suggests that the cigarette also is an important part of his life. The female ad portrays Mrs J William Robbins Jr. with her pet dog, riding in what appears like horse-drawn cart. The picture is set in a serene, natural environment and shows them traversing through the woods or a park. The ad uses the caption, “Discriminating People Prefer Herbert Tareyton” and instead of showing the lady holding a cigarette, the ad depicts an open packet of the cigarette (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Cultural Icons: Family Pets, 2013). The ad also emphasises the extra length of the cigarette, which they claim is a modern attribute and makes it clear that this cigarette is for the classy and trendy people, who are “discriminating” in their choice of quality. Thus, by portraying a class lady of upper middle class the brand seeks its appeal to the upper class in the society and others to emulate them. Tobacco Ad 1990s: Male Female (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Filter Safety Myths: Marlboro Men, 2013) (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Women’s Cigarettes: Capri, 2013) Male Ad: The male ad promotes the “Marlboro” brand, manufactured by Phillip Morris Tobacco Company, and portrays a man taming a horse. This campaign of the brand focuses on filter tips as an answer to the “increasing health concerns” about smoking (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Filter Safety Myths: Marlboro Men, 2013). Female Ad: This ad of “Capri,” manufactured by Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company, promotes the Super Slims variety of the brand. It portrays a stylish, trendy and slim female, who sort of epitomises the image of a fashionable woman of the nineties. The caption of the ad is also trendy with catch phrases such as “fresh flavor” and “your style” (Tobacco Advertising Themes: Women’s Cigarettes: Capri, 2013). Discussion: Both these ads in the 1990s show the trend of emphasising characteristics relevant to the gender of the consumers of the products. Thus, the focus of the ads shifts from any extraneous aspects to the direct to relevance to men and women who smoke the cigarettes. The male ad projects a slightly variant version of the Marlboro concept of the man on the horseback; the popular cowboy image. This ad rather than portraying the usual man on the horse depicts a man, trying to tame a horse. It relies heavily on the projection of masculinity, which may appeal strongly to the male audience of the 1990s, who may find adrenaline pumping to their veins on the imagery that the ad offers. The model remains unidentified and not even the face is shown because the sole concept of the ad is to stress on the manliness of the person, which will effectively influence the male audience of the time. On the other hand, the female ad relies on displaying a sleek, slender and exuberant girl in a trendy outfit that fits the new generation of the 1990s. From those days, female beauty has remained associated with slimness and a carefree attitude, which the female in the ad adequately represents. Moreover, it epitomises the aspirations of the females of the 1990s who will consider the model as the ad as the icon of femininity. Thus, the ad will definitely make the intended impression of the female audience and influence their buying decision. Conclusion: An analysis and evaluation of tobacco advertisements by various manufacturers for the period from 1945 to 1990 as above, reveals that the trends in advertising keep changing as the human civilization evolves, embracing new ideas and concepts, eschewing the old and obsolete. The major influences in facilitating the transformation can be identified as changing cultural norms, political and social outlooks, perspectives about health, emerging popular icons etc apart from the fashion in vogue at a given period of time. Thus, manufacturing companies study various trends in the market, identify appropriate strategies and design their ads according to the needs of the hour. The evaluation of these advertisements has also brought to fore the fact that the aspect of gender also has a crucial influence in the designing of ads. Thus, ads in the modern day have evolved based on the trends in the cultural norms, socio political situation and fashion of specific points of time. Reference List (Text) Tobacco Advertising Themes: Cultural Icons: Family Pets. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Cultural Icons: Family Pets. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Cultural Icons: Family Pets. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: For your Health: To Your Heart’s Content. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: For Your Health: To Your Heart’s Content. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Fresh: Spring Time. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved, April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Light, Super: Never a Rough Puff. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Light, Super: Never a Rough Puff 8. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Psychological Exploits, Angry Ads. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Smoking in Sports: Baseball. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved, April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Cultural Icons: Family Pets. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Women’s Cigarettes: Virginia Slims before 1989. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Reference List (Images) Tobacco Advertising Themes: Cultural Icons: Family Pets. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Cultural Icons: Family Pets. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Filter Safety Myths: Marlboro Men. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: For Your Health, To Your Heart’s Content. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: For Your Health, To Your Heart’s Content. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Light, Super: Never a Rough Puff. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Light, Super: Never a Rough Puff 8. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved, April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Psychological Exploits, Angry Ads. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine Tobacco Advertising Themes: Smoking in Sports: Baseball. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved, April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Women’s Cigarettes: Virginia Slims before 1989. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Tobacco Advertising Themes: Women’s Cigarettes: Capri. 2013. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from Read More