Representation Analysis

Representation in media

Representation is media is arguably one of the biggest factors that shape the identity of a person. It is important to have proper representation in media as in some cases it may create stereotypes of a group of individuals and will then be seen in a negative eye by the public eye.
Today I'm discussing two advertisements by different companies and sharing my thoughts on how good (or bad) they show representation.

     1 - Tide "Style is an option, clean is not"
     In this ad for the laundry detergent, a mother is telling the audience how she wishes that Tide was less effective so she could throw out the "hoodies and cargo shorts" of her daughter. The daughter is seen playing with wooden blocks on the floor while the mom is sitting on the couch.
     It is clear that the mom does not approve of the style of her young daughter as  some of the clothes that she is wearing may be considered too masculine for her eyes. This is evident since she is wearing a green hoodie that has a green camouflage print on it. This is contrasting on the clothes that the mother is wearing, a pink dress that expresses her femininity, the decorations of the house are also of pink and light tones, further conveying that the daughter is "out of place".
     This advertisement is challenging gender stereotypes and the styles/color associated with each gender while showing the effectiveness of the product itself. It is also a commentary on how older people try to change or manipulate the decisions of younger ones, she says that "we tried the whole pink thing" which is further stating that the mother wishes that her daughter would have chosen that style.
     The advertisement successfully conveys its message of personal freedom on the basis of style with the last frame where "Style is an option, clean is not" pops up.

     2 - Axe "Spray More - Get More"
     This ad is for a body spray. It depicts a group of women running through the wilderness to reach a single man who is using that particular body spray.
     It is specially problematic with the depiction of women as wild animals with the earthly tones and facial expressions that are overly sexually as they are presented with little clothing, it is also implied that women are no more than just a sexual object.
The advertisement also fails to show different body types and relies on the typical hourglass figures for all of the women in the advertisement, this will have a negative impact on women that are watching the advertisement and don't meet the "norm" in the advertisement. To make matters worse, the advertisement also fails to show older women which may then translate by the audience in that they don't have any sex appeal.
     The women's goal in the advertisement is to reach a man and they are depicted as if it were a competition, were some of them are pushing each other to ultimately end up with the individual who is using the body spray. This reinforces the idea that women are sexual objects that serve to please men, which is extremely problematic on its own.