Advert Essay

Explain how representations in adverts are constructed, and how they reflect the social and cultural contexts in which they were made.

Look at Camera, Mise En Scene, Representation of people, places, themes, emotions…

The first Old Spice product was created in 1934 in New York, and he was inspired by the mother’s aftershave. He inspired to a nautical design.

 This advert is a mid-long shot, and represents the male gender and the ethnicity because the actor is black.  This advert represents even the femininity because there is a girl in bikini lay down on his chest and this advert is direct not only for men but even for the girls so they should gift this to them boyfriends or husbands to be like the man in the advert.  THE VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE VOLCANOE ERUPTING OUT OF THE MANS HEAD PORTRAYS HOW POWEFUL YOU WOULD BE IF YOU BROUGHT THIS PROUCT YOU CAN EVEN EFY NATURES GREATEST THREATS. THE MAN ON THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD IS ALSO A VEIW OF MASACLINITY AND POWER THAT OLD SPICE WOULD GIVE THE BUYER. ALSO THE USING AN ATRACTIVE MALE CAN APPEAL TO THE WOMEN MAKING THEM BUY THE PRODUCT THINKING THEIR MAN WILL TURN INTO THIS POWERFUL RESILIENT MAN.

  The use of highkey lighting sets up the utopian appeal of the advert, highlighting the iconography and actor which in turn emphasizes the strong masculine stereotype the advert aims to depict. The actor, Isaiah Mustafa, directly addresses the consumer by making direct eye-contact. This therefore connotes confidence which encourages women to buy the product to give their man more confidence, potentially making them more attractive with their newfound confidence. It could also target men who want to have a better appeal to both their peers and women.

  The use of numerous women in bikinis further highlights the stereotypes portrayed about men and women. The women are minute in comparison to the men, potentially portraying them as lesser beings. They are used in the advert to emphasize the masculinity of the men.

Overall, the product stereotypically represents males as the ultimate alpha male that will gain strength, attractiveness and power from purchasing this product, however through the use of props and actors this is apparent to both a male and female audience and attracts both of them to buy the product as women may want to buy it for their male partners to give them more confidence and make them into the ‘ideal’ guy that is portrayed in front of them, as the women lying on his chest gazing up at him emphasizes his masculinity which is stereotypically attractive to women.