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Essay / Gender Stereotypes in Advertising - 817
The gender roles of men and women in American advertisements often reflect gender roles in society at large. Men are often portrayed as strong, assertive and intimidating, while women are often seen lying in submissive and sexual positions, showing their helplessness. Advertisements often perpetuate gender stereotypes in an effort to primarily appeal to one gender, instead of breaking gender roles to appeal to all genders. In Absolut's advertisement in Rolling Stone magazine, showcasing its new Orient Apple Vodka, the woman depicted in the ad breaks gender norms for women in advertisements. By representing a strong, confident and sexy woman, the ad appeals to both men and women. The Absolut ad depicts a beautiful but powerful woman who is in control of her environment. Bordering the top of the advertisement are autumn colored leaves with green and red apples. The backdrop is a golden, misty mountain range. In the center of the ad, we see a woman with wavy hair. She looks directly at the audience and closes her mouth. She is wearing a red top that is not revealing and a short skirt. Its long legs are outstretched, one of its legs hangs down, while the other leg is bent. Her hands hold a dragon beneath her. Bordering the bottom of the advert is a grassy area. The vodka in its bottle, along with a glass of vodka with ice, lemon, and herbs sitting next to the bottle, are visible at the bottom right of the screen. The bottom of the ad, which is separate from the visual portion, reads: “Introducing Perfected Absolut Orient Apple Cocktails.” With "introduction" on the top line and in cursive writing, "Abs...... middle of paper ......rong woman to attract both male and female buyers." This ad is another sign that women are rapidly increasing their power and influence in America. Women are holding jobs more than ever; they are earning advanced degrees in record numbers; there are now a record number of female CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies. As women's influence increases in the United States, the advertising industry must also change course from objectification and the eroticization of women in advertisements such as the one presented in this analysis. Advertisements should also not aim to attract exclusively female buyers. Absolut's advert signals an important step by advertisers in an attempt to level the playing field, end stereotypes between women and men and even maximize profits by appealing to the largest group demographic – men and women..