Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Confidence and Courage for the Consumer
So after class today I went to my grandparents house and decided to leaf through an issue of Marie Claire. I had intended to distract myself by reading some articles or seeing what trends to watch out for. But no way, not after the discussion we just had in class. Like Dr. Hager said, now all I see are ads. Everywhere. They easily make up the majority of the magazine. Now, I've always noticed this but never did I pay attention to them! I have found multiple adds for selling confidence and courage, because of course these things aren't something that comes from inside, they're something that must be packaged, produced, and sold. Confidence and courage now come in the form of Scope mouthwash whose ad features the catchy slogan "courage encouraged." Another form of confidence you can buy is makeup (who knew). Fortunately Bobbi Brown sells this: NEW Long-Wear Even Finish Compact Foundation, whose ad features a similarly catchy phrase, "Confidence is Everything. But a Little Makeup Can't Hurt." So basically they're implying that yeah you may think you have confidence, but can you truly be confident without foundation? Apparently not. Below are pictures of these ads.
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On a personal note, I remember looking through this magazine with you, and can I just say what a relief it was, after having discussed it in class, then paging through the ads, to find that our favorite nail polish line refrains from this sort of advertising?
ReplyDeleteI think you make a lot of really strong, valid points in this post. I especially liked how you kind of casually and ironically threw in there how it is erroneous to believe confidence and courage can’t occur naturally. Seriously, how can confidence and courage be sold when those traits are genuinely rooted within oneself? I have to make a purchase to be courageous and have a positive self image? It is frustrating that there are strings attached to these products. For example, just hearing the name of the Long-Wear Even Finish foundation, makes it sound like a great cosmetic product. If marketing executives sought to advertise the product for what it accomplishes, rather than focus on how the consumer is lacking, I could maintain some dignity, and I might even buy it! And the photo of the mouth wash ad is pretty extreme, and from my perspective tells a rather creepy story, “Use our mouth wash (that, might I add, exists to fight cavity causing bacteria) and you too can exit your comfort zone by making out with strangers in a mosh pit!” The message it sends…can you image a young girl looking at this ad? It is not okay.
I do find it interesting that in mouthwash ad it's the woman kissing the guy. She's leaning over him, and he's laying down. She's in the active position, and he's in the passive.
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