Female Stereotypes in advertising

Female Stereotypes in advertising

Advert A:

I think Advert A is using ‘the alpha female’ stereotype for its advert. I think this is because they are using a woman who is focused in the actual picture and is definitely in control of her situation. She seems stern and powerful. Her facial expression is that of a serious tone and ‘hard working’ person that she is. She does seem rather scary, as is the portrayal of the actual stereotype. The fact that she is wearing glasses gives of the image that she is an intelligent and smart person, hard working and a business. She is wearing a maroon coloured formal shirt that shows she is in a working environment, you can also see books behind her in the background which further enhances and portrays the business woman image, the alpha female. Dominant and powerful, a career crazed person; someone who only has eyes for their career and that her life is work.

Advert B:

I definitely think that advert B is there is the ‘beauty bunny’ stereotype. This is because the advert that she is in, and the way she has been positioned and propped shows that she thinks that just because there is science used to describe and promote the product, she thinks that it is guaranteed to work. The stereotype of this advert says that the female (beauty bunny) is into every new invention and thinks it will work; she reserves her greatest enthusiasm for the latest shampoo, or cream etc. This is portrayed because she is using the mascara in this advert and smiling out to the audience, she seems to be satisfied with the quality of the product and there is ‘scientifically’ sounding text of information sub-headlined onto the advert. It has details of the science behind the product and models it on the happy ‘beauty bunny’ that is acceptable to any ideas that will let them improve their looks and image.    

Advert C:

Advert C uses ‘The Fashionista’ (Kate Moss is used in this advert a well known clothes model) stereotype. I know this because the fashionista is a female representation of a woman that appears glossy in every magazine, such as vogue, the upper class and more expensive and well known brands; We can see it in this advert because the woman in this Dior advert is well dressed in branded and exclusive clothes and posing in a sitting position. She is wearing a Mac jacket that is tailored for the need of the advert she is staring straight into the camera. She looks like someone who is only interested in how they look and always wants to know about the new clothes and make up etc. She is the woman who is not old enough to care about her skin unlike the beauty bunny. She has neither personality nor intelligence. The woman in this advert is expressionless looking rather blank and lifeless, fitting into the stereotype of no personality or intelligence, just a beauty object. She is promoting a certain type of lifestyle.

Advert D:

This advert uses the ‘perfect mum’ stereotype. You can see this because the mum is seated in a buggy being ‘pushed’ by her small toddler. She is laughing and the infant looks like he is enjoying himself. It demonstrates the perfect mum stereotype by making her caring and nurturing, raising her children well and thinking only of them. It shows her with her child sharing quality time using slight humour since it is she who is being pushed in the pram instead of her child.

Advert E:

The granny stereotype is used mostly in life insurance adverts. The granny is holding a life insurance certificate and smiling, looking happy that she is covered for her death. This is because as an elderly person she is nearing the end of her life and senior people are best used in adverts such as this to emphasize the ‘importance’ of covering yourself. The granny in this advert is smiling and pleased that she is covered and the granny stereotype fits this type of adverts because she has few interests outside her grandchildren since the money from her life insurance will go towards paying for her funeral or to help out with her grandchildren, her own children and family in general.