There are many marketing techniques that appeal me with logic. When advertising I am more apt to buy a product if it is appealing to the financial side. When I am shopping, especially because I am a college student, I am always concerned with saving money. I want a product that will give me the most bang for my buck as they say. When products are advertised as being green I think that is great but because I am a poor college student I can't afford to spend the extra money to try and save the planet. There are many different ways to advertise because there are many different types of people. Everyone has different concerns when shopping and they change with the different phases of life. For some green products may make them more appealing, but for others they may be more concerned with the safety of the products they are purchasing for the family. It is up to the company to know who and how they want to appeal in order to make the biggest profit.

Marketing trends

We all fall for marketing trends, one that is very common in today's society and something that most males have fallen for is workout supplements, and pills. They always show a huge individual and say that you too can become like that if you just take these pills for a month. But in reality, they got like that from a lifetime of working out and taking care of themselves. Not from working out 5 times a week 20 minutes a day. The spin the put on these products makes you buy them because if they were to tell you you were barely going to see results, then you wouldn't bother wasting your time. But if they tell you your going to gain 10 pounds of muscle then you may be a lot more inclined to buy them. What they don't tell you is that you will probably only keep 6 of those 10, and wont be as "big" as they say you will get. Nevertheless we all fall for them constantly, and keep buying these products.

What TV made me think.

Commercials that changed my opinion on the things I do annoy me actually.  For the most part I really don't get influenced, by what they say, that is consciously.  When I think of commercials that influence the first ones that came to mind is the newest Old Spice commercials.  The man makes it seem as though he is the standard for the "hot" male figure.  In reality, I don't care, but I have fallen for it in that I have bought Old Spice body wash since watching the commercial because of the scent.  And that is ultimately the focus of that commercial, that I could smell like an attractive person.  Its all a brainwash, they used good looking things (not just people) to make it seem as though smelling good will bring it all.  WHAT A LIE...I haven't gotten shit.  It's all a marketing ploy to make us feel better about the way we are, trick us into thinking that we are as awesome as the commercial portrays users to be, when reality, it is questionable how much anyone recognizes a change in BODYWASH.  Which by the way, the scent only lasts for barely anytime after a good shower.  So, doesn't that mean I have been tricked completely?  Whatever, it worked, they got my money cause the commercial is funny, and desirable.  

Marketing

In the recent years, our world has continued to become more and more advanced in the area of technology. As you watch commercials and read ads, it's as if you're being brainwashed by the companies. They are constantly coming up with new ideas and ways to improve upon what already exists. By them finding new ways to grab your attention and appeal to their audience, it's hard not to fall into the trap and naturally, everyone wants the most up to date product. For example, it seems as if whenever you get a new cell phone, a newer and better one comes out so you feel obligated to upgrade. I just fell for this but so has everyone else which is a part of why I did because everyone in my surroundings has the newest touch screen phone and you don't feel with the times if you don't. By constantly adding new applications and features to phones, companies are able to sell more phones and make bigger profits.

Usually, I don't like to buy products that I see on tv. Instead, I like to go to the store and be able to physically handle the product before purchasing it because it makes it feel "real" and I can see what it's like myself rather than listen to others persuade me to buy something by only listing off it's good features.

Identify a marketing trend, like “greenwashing” food. Have you fallen for it, like Severson? Why or why not? Which products/services do you buy, and why- do you think marketing (or “spin”) plays into any of your purchasing decisions?

Media Influences

One of the biggest marketing trends in todays society deals with alcohol. Beer commercials always associate drinking beer with having a great time with friends, partying, dancing, girls (which attracts guys). These commercials make it seem that drinking beer is a wonderful way to have fun. I know that many people do not realize that this idea is influenced by Bud Light ads, but a majority of people--especially college students--adhere to this notion. The social life a college student pertains a lot to drinking because the media portrays it as a way to have fun. I must admit that I have fallen for this trend several times, as I am sure that a majority of the people in this class have also. However, this trend, as well as others, is not a fact. There are many other ways to have a good time with friends, even in college. Going to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch a basketball game is one of my favorite activities, for example. Even though there are always other ways of having fun, the marketing strategies of alcohol companies have a huge impact on what people buy.

why do we buy?

One of the big market trends in the electronics that I buy is the eco-friendly power saving touch. The idea is that because your computer is efficient it is less harmful to the environment because it takes less energy to accomplish the same thing another computer would. In concept this makes perfect sense, less electricity needed, less "dirty" fuels consumed. What people fail to realize is that some of the processes used to produce eco-friendly technology aren't very ec0-friendly themselves. I don't buy things just because someone tells me that it's a good idea, I buy based on quality, usefulness, and price. Power saving devices are sometimes a smart thing to invest in, they can save you a lot of money, but I don't think you should buy anything just because you're told it helps the environment.

Marketing to Me.

One trend that I have noticed lately is that companies that make body wash and deodorant are making products tailored specifically to men. While this isn't new, they try to discourage other products as girly, and that theirs is the only one that will make you masculine, and therefore attractive. You can see this from people like Axe, Old Spice, and Suave. Personally, I haven't fallen for any of these types of campaigns. If I'm going to buy something like that, I'll do it on a need basis, and choose whichever one I want based on how much I like how it works or smells.

Usually when I buy something, that isn't a video game, it's because I need it. Because of marketing, I will usually look into the big company's product first, but I make my decision to buy based on which ever one I think will work the best for the lowest price.

Marketing Scams

In today's world, we are constantly getting bombarded with advertisements and commercials to buy the latest products. Since the main purpose for all of these companies is to sell their products, every product that we look at has a scheme behind it. The question at the end is whether or not you buy the product for the reason that the companies are telling you. I tend to be very selective when it comes to buying products. Rather than just listening to what others tell me about them, I like to look at it and use it before actually making a decision to buy it. In this sense, I do not fall for products do to what the manufacturer is telling me about it. A good example would be Apple Inc. which have become very successful over the past few years. While they provide great quality products, they need to sell more, and therefore give you reasons for why you should get rid of your old, and still working computer, for one of the newer ones. Although the computer you have is still running well, they manage to grab the customers attention by showing them all of the useless accessories that have been added to it. They get the consumers to believe that these differences will help with their everyday lives, while in reality this is not true. When it comes to computers, I do not buy another one until it is necessary to. Therefore all of the advertising campaigns that are started do not have a very large affect on me.

I've been ...BAMBOOZLED!?!

To be honest I can’t really identify any marketing trend, so I’ll go with the greenwashing example and generalize to any other market trend. I’ve deeply fallen for these apparently schemes by large corporations to deceive me and profit from my naivety when believing in their credibility. I mean if the product is advertising some sort of change be it no trans fat or organic doesn’t that mean that the product in some way shape or form is meeting this criteria they are advertising. I am more than willing to make the decision to buy some more politically correct brand that is parading the fact that they are donating to some charitable cause, since they are? I thought false advertising was illegal and the government was attempting to regulate it in some regard. So I didn’t think there was a reason to doubt the motives of brands, but maybe that’s because it’s food and I’m going to have to eat one thing or another so what does it matter if it wasn’t exactly the right choice? At least I made an attempt in supporting the right thing, besides I'd prefer to indulge my ignorance and believe that goofy character on my organic cheese puffs and taste the sweet satisfaction of good karma mixed with cheesy goodness.

Marketing Trends

I hadn't really given it much thought before now, and this made the task of thinking of marketing trends I've noticed exceedingly difficult. We all know about the "Go Green" movement, and the shameless marketing that took place soon after. Living "Green" went from a practical solution to our environmental problems to being a sort of status symbol. Oh, sure, there are plenty of people who genuinely care about the environment, but then there are those who never once gave recycling or keeping cleaning products out of the water a thought, until going green was the thing to do.

Weight loss and Nutrition are also pretty big trends when it comes to grocery shopping, and two that I'll have to admit I've fallen into before. There have been a few times when, while shopping for myself and my boyfriend, I would pass a display for "100 Calorie Packs" of some of our favorite snack foods, and I would think to myself how guiltless snacking would be if we bought these instead of the regular packages of the same snack. Of course, these are about twice as expensive, and we'd still end up accumulating the same number of calories regardless of how they were packaged. Another trip to Wall-mart, and I found myself listening to one of those video ads in the grocery section telling me how healthy and happy my kids (or rather, my picky boyfriend) would be if I bought them Chef Boyardee ravioli, because it tastes great and contains a full serving of vegetables in every can. I actually still feel like I should buy some the next time I go to Wall-Mart. When this type of media is popping up everywhere you look, and worse yet, half your friends and family are buying what the media suggests, it's difficult not to get caught up in it.

Marketing

“Nutrition” is a recent marketing trend for food. This trend is based upon trying to sell people food because it is nutritious and therefore good for you to eat. So it plays on people’s desire to be healthy.

I would say that I haven’t fallen for it. The thing about it is that it isn’t that I don’t want to be healthy, because I do. For me the thing is that I have always ate “unhealthy” food and still managed to be healthy. Also, most of these nutritious things taste terribly bad to me, especially the “nutritious” candy bars.

Generally I buy whatever taste good to me. So if I happen to be craving a Reeses Cup, as I often do, I get a Reeses Cup. In my case I would say that marketing doesn’t play much of a role in what I buy, as far as food is concerned. This is because I generally buy the food that I’ve always bought. I might try something new if it looks tasty in the picture, which is a form of marketing. So other than the visual part of marketing I don’t feel effected by ads that say “nutritious” or “tasty” because it all depends upon the picture (and maybe what happens to be in it on the ingredients part).

Marketing Trends and YOU!

The most notable marketing trend, a little bit bigger than greenwashing I think, is the weight loss marketing trend. It's rather hard to say whether or not I have fallen for this trend; I have bought and preferenced lower calorie (and inevitably more expensive foods) just for the sake of them being low calorie foods, but I'll more often buy whatever food I want. So, I guess I've fallen for it slightly, but not much and not often. In effect, I do not believe that the weight loss marketing trend has influenced my purchasing decisions to any significant or lasting extent, despite how heavily they are advertised at Americans.

Marketing Trends

I think that one of the biggest marketing trends would have to be the whole baked goods trend for chips. It can definitely go along the same lines as "greenwashing" and the primary reason that I would follow such a trend is because of the fact that the chips that are baked are somewhat healthier than the regular chips. I think another thing has to be that I like the way that the chips are made makes them crispier which makes the chips appeal to me. I think that the marketing spin of the chips being so much healthier than the regular chips was what drew me to them initially but after I already had them and liked them more than the fried chips I continue to buy them.

Always

In my family, my mother always falls for marketing schemes. We're destroying the atmosphere with our lightbulbs, so we need to buy 'green' ones, to save the world. If you buy this pill, you'll lose weight. If you buy this for your kitchen, it'll clean itself--I don't know, something ridiculous. But it seems like my mom always hops on the bandwagon, and I'm the one who has to stop her from spending her money. My father and I are very objective people. We really weigh the pros and cons before we buy something--And we know better than to trust the marketing companies. Though, I'm sure, that even with out thought process, something gets through. How can it not? With ads playing all the time, we can't ignore it completely. Right now, as I'm typing this, the TV is on behind me. Soon, a commercial will come on--And maybe, subconsciously, it will trick me into buying something I don't exactly want. When I flip through magazines, and the naked women pop up, I ignore what the ad is selling--Though, maybe at some point, I buy it anyway. I feel as through ads are overwhelming, and gives us reasons to buy the product. In class, we talked about Dove, and how we would be contributing to a good cause if we buy it. But is that really true? Is that why they want us to shop with them? Of course not. They want us to shop with them, because they are a business. The bottom line is: The marketing companies want us to spend money, and will tell us anything to make us do so.

The Media

This might come as a shock to some people but must of the beliefs and opinions we have as a human race come from the media. Therefore, I do believe that if ads, such as the Dove ads, become consistant and wide spread in the media, over along period of time, then they can change America's perception of physical beauty.
When I look through a popular magazine, such as Glamour or Teen Vogue, the models that I see are skinny, light skinned women with straight hair. The type of clothes that these women wear can not be put into one particular catergory because fashion is so dynamic these days. What these magazine ads are advertising is not always clear; an ad might be selling diamond but all it has is a picture of a completely naked women, which makes no sense but sex always sells. Strickingly, the women that are presented in these magazine ads are the women that most people find attractive. It is a rule amoung a lagre majority of the human race that a women with lighter skin, blue eyes and blonde hair is beautiful above all others.
If things began to change and i began to see more women that resembled myself in ads I would pay more attention to them. But I believe that no matter what kind of women is seen in magazines, she must have some attractive feature becauses ads are meant to sells and they must be appealing to people.

Journal 9: You Spin Me Right 'Round

Identify a marketing trend, like “greenwashing” food. Have you fallen for it, like Severson? Why or why not? Which products/services do you buy, and why- do you think marketing (or “spin”) plays into any of your purchasing decisions?

Due: Tuesday, March 30

Changing the face of Ads

I think that the effort that Dove is putting together to change the thoughts that Americans have about models is definitely a valiant one but I think that it won't change the image of physical beauty in America. People have long been exposed to images of good looking people in an attempt for companies to sell their products and I don't think that idea can be altered by one company, no matter how hard they try. The models that are in magazine ads are good looking and fit and depending on the product they're advertising would depend on how much clothing they're actually wearing. Like for an old spice ad the guy that's advertising the product is in a swimsuit and on a beach. I think that if the ad were to feature people that looked more average then it would lose it's appeal, people wouldn't really notice it right away. One of the reasons why ads use good looking people is because there are people that just flip through magazines and if they want to get their ad looked at they need to have something that will grab the readers attention immediately. I think that the idea of the Dove ads of advertising their product made for women using the women that actually use the product as models is a great idea but I think it may also limit the audience that sees the ad because of the fact that it's not as visually appealing as some of the other ads in the magazine.

Magazine Ads!

I don't think that Dove advertisements could single handedly alter the image of physical beauty in America as it would be hard for any company to do that because for a long time, most have thought of beauty as an in shape woman who appears skinny and perfect. However, advertisements, such as the ones for Dove, have a way of bringing their audiences back to reality because everyone knows no one is perfect and very few woman have the body that represents physical beauty. When I look through my Victoria Secret magazine, I find female models in bikinis whose skin is glowing, their hair is long and beautiful, and their bodies are toned. Every girl wants items from Victoria Secret because they want to look like the woman in the pictures. Personally, I think I would pay more attention to items modeled by people who are similar to me because than I get a better idea of what it would actually look like on me. On the other hand, naturally, items modeled by beautiful women always tend to stand out more and really grab your attention. A person's image is something that seems to matter a lot to every individual and the standards do vary by race, culture, age, and gender. I think that no matter how much someone tries to change the ways of ads and their models in an effort to make people less self conscious of themselves, ads with less than perfect models would not be sold as much because they just can't be as appealing.

Advertisements

I think that advertisements like Dove can alter the image of physical beauty in America to some viewers but not others. To some it may be a reality check, or like a breath of fresh air to not see the typical model but to the rest of viewers they may find the product less appealing because there isn't some beautiful celebrity or model endorsing it. Looking through Cosmopolitan I saw mainly celebrities and models in the ads. They are wearing designer clothes and they appear physically perfect to the viewer of the ad. Most of the products advertised throughout this magazine are perfumes, clothes, and makeup. Personally, in most cases I would rather see someone who looked like me and those familiar to me when selling something because it would feel like it was geared towards me. Then again it would take away the glamour aspect of wanting it, like when seeing a Victoria's Secret model in a magazine every girl thinks I want that because I want to look like her. Aesthetic standards do vary by race, culture, age, and gender due to the fact they may be looking for different things in a product or ad but overall people want to desire what they see in the ad no matter what their background. Dove ads works to appeal to their audience in the sense that they gear their products and image towards everyone, no matter what race, age, culture, etc.

Ads

Ads everywhere are influenced by body type and looks. In Sports Illustrated magazine, a lot of the ads use beautiful models rather than the everyday woman in the Dove ads. The girls in Sports Illustrated magazines are the models who are tan, tall, slender, curvy, and sexy. The Dove ad, however, utilizes the look of a common woman, someone who a vast majority of women can relate to because not every girl looks like a bathing suit model. This strategy works for Dove because it sells soap products. However, it would not work for such things as cologne or axe shampoo and deodorant because it is trying to attract a different audience. The audience for cologne and axe is mainly teenage guys and men in their twenties and early thirties. They would much rather buy a shampoo that causes all girls around you to jump on you than other shampoos. For example, I would pay more attention to a beautiful model with a bathing suit on than the women in the Dove ad. Dove can try and change the image of beauty through their ads but I don't think they can change the image of beauty in ads. Beauty in ads is more of a sex appeal than what some people may consider true beauty of a women. But no ad has the ability to change that view in my opinion.

It depends.

I've looked through one of my favorite gamer magazines, and I noticed a specific trend about the ads about body care.  They often portray a male figure feature after supposedly using the product, lets say axe shampoo, and a female figure seeming to be magnetically attracted to him, often right next to him "fondling" his hair.  Now this would seem no different than any other advertisement, but its the fact that its in a gamer magazine.  They are trying to appeal to the stereotypical hardcore gamer who plays games non stop and showers once every couple days.  The figures seen in the ad are good looking, you know, the man might not have a shirt o and he is probably fit, and the woman is dressed, well, in a very hot way so to say.  These ads seem to try and make the gamer think about him, or her, self in comparison.  These ads dont really appear to vary to different race in any way because anyone can use them.  However when it comes to the Dove ad you notice that pretty much every culture seems to be portrayed, kinda to say blatantly that anyone can be like this.  As for age, ya gamers run a certain younger age group from teens to eh, mid 30's or maybe a little older, and the ads reflect that by using people that look like they are in their twenties.  Finally, if they used someone like me or a friend or family, it would probably not work as well on me, i want to see what i dream of being not what i will actually be like if i use it.  I feel the idea behind ads like this is to make us want to be something else, what's on the page.

Beauty in Ads

Beauty, as the reading assignment said, is in the eyes of the beholder. This is very true, and in the world of advertisment, the goal is to alter the mind of the person that is looking at it. Without being able to change the view of the person looking at it, the company would be unsuccessful at promoting their product and getting it sold. I think that advertisements and movie's in general are able to alter the view of beauty in society. This is because many people in society look up to celebrities, and therefore look at beauty the same way they do. Usually the models I see are very skinny, blond, and look very young. If you pay close attention, the usual flaws seem to be covered up. Usually these women advertise for brands for both men and women. An example would be Axe for a men's product, and Victoria's Secret for the women's product. Depending on what the product is, I may or may not pay more attention to people who look normal. Aesthetic standards do change between race, culture, age and gender, because just as the reading said, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. And therefore, if the culture is more focused on family, then the beauty would not focus on being overly thin as much. I think that the ads focus on Pathos since it focuses on the emotional aspect of people.

Advertising

Advertising in general has certain techniques that help to sell a product. When looking through most ads in a magazine, whether it be for men or women, the people portrayed are usually the ideal image of beauty. Advertising companies use these people because they believe it will help them sell more of their product. They want people to believe that if they use that product they can be like the person in the ad. All skin care ads use people who don't really need it or use it to show how well it works. But in my opinion an ad works best when it can be proven and that is why proactive ads seem to be more effective than other skin care lines, because it uses celebrities before and after images.
There are many advertising techniques that can be used to lure consumers. In my opinion the dove ad is effective because it goes against the norm. Dove is being realistic in that not all women look like models or actresses. When they say it makes every women beautiful I believe it because of the average women confident in their own skin. Advertising is one one of the main reasons people worry about their image because they are trying to be the perfect person in the ad, which results in people buying the product. It is a vicious circle that makes people worry about their image yet makes the products company very wealthy. If ads used more average people, I am not sure the company would make more money but people would be a lot less self conscience.

Nice try Dove

Being that advertisements are a large portion of the media that individuals are constantly bombarded by so that money can be made by selling a product or service, it is logical that the image of physical beauty could easily be altered through such images. By seeing advertisements everywhere suggesting an ideal body figure, the multitudes of people viewing these images could easily see it as a new standard or at least something they desired to be like. Since the company’s themselves are creating ads that make the consumers interested in their product, they aren’t going to put up some average Joe they are going use some gorgeous model that people want to be like.
Depending on what the targeted market of product is, will change the ad dramatically. In the case of the “Dove ads” trying to relate to “real beauty” it is still parading one’s physical shape though it is toned done by about 20-30 years to back when the ideal body was a bit different. Will it have an affect on the how the general population views the desired body type to be? Not much really, when movies and television are still using casts consisting of beautiful people of today’s standards.
To address the issue that if the individuals in adds were like every day people it wouldn’t change the consumer to buy the particular product in my opinion. Because most people are dissatisfied with who they are and are seeking to better themselves and invoke some sort of change. So basically I doubt enough people are happy enough with themselves to “give up” and accept their fated existence. Though it is obviously an emotional appeal to us that they are accepting who they are and so should we. What I find funny is that if their new ad design fails they will just go back to how the rest of the market is advertising because at the center of it all, its just about money and not about some positive change to society.

きれいな物

This is an ongoing battle for most women. Now, I am anything BUT a womens rights activist--Quite the opposite, really--But the matter is, the women that are depicted in most ads, in magazine and television, are beautiful, glowing, with perfect skin, slender bodies, and features that most "normal" women would kill for. If jewelry is being advertised, they zoom into the product, and how it sticks out against their skin. If they model clothes, they are showing the product as worn on their bodies. They can sell anything like this--Heck, they can sell vacuum cleaners if a beautiful woman is pushing one. I find it irritating, and slightly degrading. Many women can't help but compare themselves to the women in these ads. Now, as far as I go, I do have self-esteem, and always have--Yet, if I catch sight of a Victorias Secret ad, I feel it slipping away. If the advertising companies used more 'average' women, I would be more prone to buying what they are selling, or at least paying more attention. They are attracting men, maybe, but as for women, we need more than a busty woman selling something to really grasp us. I tend to read a lot of Japanese magazines, and while they still have the typical ad, with a beautiful woman, I see much less of these than in the American magazine counterparts. I'm sure aesthetic beauty does differ, at least slightly, from culture to culture--Though, in todays world, in countries that share mostly similar cultures, such as ourselves, Europe, and developed Asia, slender women are the standard in Advertising. In Japanese magazines, I see many more handsome men, or even children selling products--Something that I wish we would focus on, instead of women. The Dove Ad campaign is one of my favorites, and one I wish I'd see more often. The majority of women in this country aren't runway models, but we'd love to feel like we are. That is how this ad makes us feel.

-Carley Watson

Advertising and Social Control

I think it's amazing how much power lies in the hands of advertisers. If it can be said that corporations have financial control of this country, then their respective advertisers have social-psychological control. Advertisements do more, I think, than most people realize to alter the image of beauty in our society, among other things. If you look through any popular magazine, you'll find the pages strewn with images of thin, curvaceous women with hair that could only shine so brightly under hot, carefully placed lighting, and skin that can only be as flawless as it appears under layers of make-up and spray-on tanning. The men on these pages are always buff and unusually well groomed, and everyone tends to exhibit unnatural levels of positive emotion. The same tends to be true for television. You can see it in clothing commercials, make-up commercials, weight-loss program ads, soap and shampoo ads, and even in ads for products that have nothing at all to do with physical appearance, like food or attractions.

Of course, the average person must realize somewhere deep down that these images are by no means true to life, but more towards the surface, there tends to be a desire to be like the people you see, to have beautiful hair and flawless skin, or a buff body, and to be as happy as the people in the pictures or on TV seem to be. The "logic" behind these advertisements is that if people see attractive, "beautiful", happy people using these products, they'll feel good about the product in question and want to use it themselves. there will almost be a subconcious belief somewhere in the mind that using Dove conditioner will give you that unnaturally shiny hair, wearing a Playtex bra will give you that supermodel body you think you need to be as happy as the model on TV seems to be, and that Axe body spray is all a man needs to get a harem of women drooling over him.

In this sense, I think I'm lucky to be blind. I never wear make-up, own very few brand-name clothes, and have never put product in my hair that will glue it in place or make it be the end of the world if it gets wet, and I think a lot of this is because I'm not constantly bombarded with images of how the advertisers believe women need to look to be happy. I do have brand preferences for certain products, and some of these preferences are common, but I think a lot more of my product choices are made based on what the product actually does for me, not what the commercial implies it will do. I used Clean&Clear products all through high school, for example, but I'd never seen a commercial for the product and only learned through hearsay how clean, happy, and pretty the girls in these ads look, supposedly as a result of the product. I just used it because it worked better than alternatives and was in my budget range.

I think that enough advertising of beauty can affect the perception of beauty in people. I know that in ancient Rome, they though it was beautiful to have very pale skin, because it meant that you were rich and didn't have to work in the fields. We know how that is completely different in today's world. Even in video games and their advertisements, the people portrayed are attractive by today's standards, and wear clothing to flaunt that.

I think that people will instinctively pay more attention to an ad that features very attractive people rather than more average people. I think that standards would definitely be different to different cultures, because what may be sexy in India, may be stupid to us here in America.

The Dove ads in themselves may be trying to alter to perception of beauty in our culture because it seems they want to convince their audience that a more average body types is much more attractive than previously thought, making women feel more confident, if they wear their product, of course.

ads everywhere

I don't think ads truly alter the what people see as beautiful. Ads are directed at a specific group of people, so that the audience agrees with the ad prior to even seeing it, on some level or another. The ads that reference appearance usually refer to the ideal of their audience, the predisposed vision of beauty.

The Dove ads appeal to people (women) by referring to pathos, the ads appeal to the happiness of the actresses, implying that if the audience uses the product, they will be happy too.

We've Been Doing this in HUM3321 so I Get to be the Expert!

I don't have any magazines so I'll just try my best to be stereotypical about them for the sake of this post.

A lot of magazines will feature ads (not their ads, of course) with thin, beautiful, and often heavily photoshopped people on them, who coincidentally usually don't wear a lot of clothing, whether they're selling soap, cars, or pizza. This is because sex sells. Period.

I suppose I would pay attention to an ad with an actual family member in it, but if an ad had someone who looked like the people in my family, as in not the idol of perfection, then I still wouldn't really care, since I watch and look at ads for entertainment value. For instance, if an ad was funny, then hey, I just got entertained for 30 seconds, and that's a big win for me. I don't care what the people look like, but if it's people I've seen before (people from other commercials, celebrities), then I suppose that I pay a little bit more attention.

Yes, aesthetic standards do vary by race. For instance, non-white women are often portrayed as animal-like for some odd reason.

Dove has been leading in the race in not having all beautiful people in their ads. This appeals perhaps a bit less to the audience, but the honesty and publicity of the campaign has likely been coming in as a net financial benefit for the company.

Advertisements can definitely alter the image of physical beauty. Ads which talk about products that are supposed to make you look better feature models, who because of such ads are now the bar for beauty. You have to look like them if you want to be beautiful. In magazines you usually see fit, relatively attractive individuals so that the product will sell more. Sex sells, everyone knows that. I do pay more attention to ads of people that look like me because I can relate better, they usually know exactly what audience they are targeting and most of the time get a model that fits their audience. So when I see a pro-football player, being someone who plays football will automatically be drawn to the add. Dove ads work by making it seem as if you were to use these products you would be as beautiful as the models who star in their commercials. They make it seem like they have the secret to better skin, when in reality its all basically the same stuff. They're way of logic is "look these beautiful models use dove, you should too."

Ads altering physical beauty? Maybe not.

I don't think that ads such as the Dove "Campaign For Real Beauty" actually alter the image physical beauty. Why? Well, one of my favorite magazines is Teen Vogue and EVERY model is super thin and tan. Not only are these models thin, but the clothes and/or products they are advertising are typically high-end. Most people who can afford such products can also usually afford a personal trainer and are generally, but not always, thin. Personally, I am fairly indifferent to ads, and therefore I don't think I would pay attention to an ad less or more if it had models that looked like me. I do think that ads vary by age because the Dove campaign is targeted at women, "real women" who have probably had children and do carry extra weight while Teen Vogue is targeted at teens who want to be thin. I think the Dove ads appeal to the pathos of women because it features confident women who are not afraid to show their bodies and Dove is trying to show women of all sizes that they do not have to be afraid of their body.

Ads

Advertisements like Dove can’t alter the image of physical beauty in America because their aim is to show American’s something that they like (and therefore already perceive as beautiful) in order to sell a good or service. Although the advertisement could alter the image of physical beauty if it showed Americans something that they both liked and hadn’t ever seen before.

In ESPN the magazine the models usual have on under armor type clothing (especially if it’s an under armor ad), and they almost always have sweat dripping off of them (the exception generally is golf ads). The men and women in these ads also appear as physically fit.

I can’t say that I would pay more attention to ads that featured people who look like me (unless it was exactly like me). Generally I look at ads either because it is unique and therefore catches my eye or if it’s obviously one about something I want. As far as aesthetic standards go I would say that they vary by individuals. There may be some correlation between a specific age buying a specific brand because of its advertising appeal, but correlation isn’t causation.

I think that the Dove ad works in that it effectively appeals to its audience. Obviously it works because Dove is apparently still in business and buying ads. I see the point of their ad being to appeal to women by showing the other “beautiful” women using Dove. This is trying to make it look as if Dove causes the beauty and I suppose it works.

Journal 8: Due Thursday, March 25

Can advertisements, like Dove, alter the image of physical beauty in America? Look through one of your favorite magazines; what type of models (both male and female) do you see in these ads? What are they wearing; how do they look physically; what product are they advertising? Would you pay more attention to ads that featured people who look like you, your family, and your friends? Do aesthetic standards vary by race, culture, age, or gender? How do you think the Dove ads work, rhetorically, to appeal to their audience?