When opening a women’s magazine from the 1970s you immediately notice the provocative perfume advertisements that sometimes featured a highly sexualized idea of women and men. This thesis compares perfume advertisements featured in Cosmopolitan and Redbook magazines. By using qualitative and quantitative content analysis when analyzing the various perfume advertisements, the messages of these advertisements were analyzed. Advertisements of perfume products create and reflect cultural notions regarding the status of women and gender roles. Trends from Cosmopolitan and Redbook perfume advertisements revealed:
Table of Contents
I. INTRODUCTION
Topic 1
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
III. METHODOLOGY
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
V. CONCLUSION
Future Research and Limitations
Implications
Recommendations
Conclusion
Research Objectives and Thematic Focus
This study investigates how women were represented in perfume advertisements within the magazines Cosmopolitan and Redbook during the years 1970 to 1974, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative content analysis to assess the prevalence of sexualized imagery and its alignment with traditional gender roles.
- Historical evolution and marketing strategies of Cosmopolitan and Redbook magazines in the 1970s.
- Application of cultivation theory to understand the impact of sexualized advertising on societal norms.
- Examination of the "ideal beauty" construct in media and its correlation with self-esteem and body dissatisfaction.
- Comparative analysis of perfume advertisement content and thematic consistency across the two target publications.
- Assessment of gender portrayals and the utilization of sexual appeals as a primary marketing tool.
Excerpt from the Book
Ideal Beauty
Ideal may also taken to mean perfect, a situation which is said to be non-existence. Advertisements posted on magazines however are said to portray perfect or ideal beauty. This is because the models in the advertisements need to appear perfect in order for the product being promoted to sell. Perfume advertisements are the mostly characterized by ideal beauty, in order to make the wearer feel like the model. This research investigated the emotions of the models appearing in the perfume advertisements under study. More than 87 percent of the models appearing in the advertisements under study were coded to be showing joy or interest. The clothing of the models, race and age of the models was also considered to establish whether an advertisement was showing ideal beauty. This shows that most advertisements tried to show an ideal beauty impression to its target audience, who were women.
Such advertisements result to low self-esteem, depression, and the development of unhealthy eating habits in women (Media Awareness). This is caused by Cultivation Theory, which influences women to imitate or desire to be like the models. Women may be under a tremendous amount of pressure to exemplify “ideal beauty” which ends up affecting them negatively.
Advertisements repeatedly portray women as possessing ideal beauty and therefore sending a messages of how they should look in order to be beautiful. The ideal beauty look has been created through airbrushing, cosmetics, and computer retouching (Killing Us Softly, Jean Kilbourne). According to the research carried out by Wood (1999), to be feminine in the United States, one must be attractive, deferential, unaggressive, emotional, nurturing, and concerned with people and relationships, as portrayed in the advertisements. Marketers and advertisers recognize this and use this information to influence women to buy and invest large amounts of money on superficial products in order to feel attractive. This is evident in the research in this research study since the models in the advertisements under study portray ideal beauty.
Summary of Chapters
I. INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the study's scope, focusing on perfume advertisements in 1970s women's magazines, and establishes the research rationale and questions.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW: This section reviews existing research on sexual advertising, the cultivation theory, and the historical context of feminism in the 1970s.
III. METHODOLOGY: This chapter details the qualitative and quantitative content analysis methods, including the coding process and sampling strategy used to collect data.
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This chapter presents the statistical findings and themes emerging from the analysis of 137 coded advertisements regarding gender representation and sexualization.
V. CONCLUSION: This chapter summarizes the research findings, addresses the limitations of the study, and provides recommendations for future advertising practices.
Keywords
Perfume Advertisements, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, 1970s, Content Analysis, Gender Representation, Sexualization, Ideal Beauty, Cultivation Theory, Feminism, Media Effects, Marketing Strategies, Body Image, Social Norms, Consumer Behavior
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
This thesis examines the nature and content of perfume advertisements in Cosmopolitan and Redbook magazines from 1970 to 1974, specifically focusing on how women were represented during this era.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The work centers on the sexualization of women in advertising, the construction of "ideal beauty" standards, the influence of media consumption on body satisfaction, and the historical evolution of gender roles in the 1970s.
What is the primary research question?
The study primarily seeks to understand how women were portrayed in perfume advertisements between 1970 and 1974 and whether there were significant differences in the representation between the two selected magazines.
What methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative content analysis, utilizing a coding sheet system to evaluate 137 specific advertisements across 12 selected magazine issues.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers a historical overview of the magazines, a literature review on sexual advertising and the cultivation theory, a detailed description of the research methodology, and a presentation/discussion of the resulting data.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Key terms include perfume advertising, sexualization, gender representation, ideal beauty, and cultivation theory.
How did the author define the "ideal beauty" construct?
The author defines it as an unachievable physical state characterized by thin, young, and airbrushed models, promoted by advertisers to manipulate consumer behavior and self-perception.
What were the findings regarding differences between the two magazines?
The analysis revealed that despite some minor differences in elements like color or graphic design, both magazines utilized similar sexualized marketing strategies and promoted the same standards of "ideal beauty."
What role did the Cultivation Theory play in the study?
The theory served as a lens to understand how repeated exposure to idealized and sexualized media messages influences women's perceptions of social reality, their own self-worth, and their body image.
What was the conclusion regarding the 1970s advertising landscape?
The study concluded that perfume advertisements in the 1970s were overwhelmingly sexualized, frequently portraying women as sex objects or in subordinate roles to meet the needs of marketers and consumers' fantasies.
- Quote paper
- Mayer Taylor (Author), 2012, Perfume advertisement, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/267072
