How would be a world without advertisement? Would it still be possible to attract people for special goods or products? Advertisement means communication, and without communication it is almost impossible to call attention to what one would like to bring to market. So adverts provide a well-directed and conscious influence on human beings. But how different can such an influence be in men and women magazines? In the following essay I am going to write about British magazines, especially about advertisement that is made in typical men and women magazines, whereby I try to work out the details of possible differences between the adverts - if there are some at least. I will concentrate on only two magazines that are: Company and Maxim; two typical men and women magazines that I have chosen unintended to find some interesting adverts by chance. The first step will be that I will briefly introduce the two magazines to get an overview about their contents and the main topics they write about. After this I am going to give examples for adverts in men and women magazines, from each of the two introduced magazines three. I will try to describe them in detail and illustrate their intentions towards their readers and audience respectively. Especially how the adverts are made up and which techniques the advertisers use, belong to the main point of this essay. Finally I am going to compare the three adverts of both magazines with each other and try to find out some differences between, or maybe common grounds with advertisement in men and women magazines. In this connexion I will draw a conclusion and sum up my results that I hopefully will get from my breakdown. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Company
3. Maxim
4. Adverts in “Company”
4.1 “Sure”
4.2 “The Hospital Group”
4.3 “L’Oreal – Telescopic Mascara”
5. Adverts in “Maxim”
5.1 “Gillette – Fusion”
5.2 “LA Muscle – Fat Stripper”
5.3 “Euphoria – Calvin Klein”
6. Comparison – Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
The objective of this study is to perform a comparative analysis of advertising strategies employed in British men’s and women’s magazines, specifically focusing on the titles "Company" and "Maxim," to identify stylistic differences and common underlying marketing techniques.
- Analysis of advertising content and thematic focus in gender-specific print media.
- Examination of visual elements and textual strategies used to influence readers.
- Comparison of "beauty" and "sex-sells" paradigms in cross-gender advertisements.
- Evaluation of how detailed information versus emotional/humorous cues are utilized for different audiences.
- Identification of rhetorical patterns and identity-building approaches in modern advertising.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 “Sure”
The first advert I would like to introduce stands for a deodorant called “Sure”, which has an “incredible protection for incredible women.” Though there are three pictures on the left side of this page 191 the first eye-catcher is a big title above an accompanying text, which is positioned on the right side of the paper. This headline is written in two different colours, turquoise and purple, and also in two different font sizes – small and big letters or words respectively. Two words are written in a big format and in different colours: “horror” and “flowers”, actually two words, that absolutely do not fit together. Both of these words seem to illustrate the main idea of the text below, this is maybe the reason why they are emphasised. So when the reader of this advert looks at it, the first thing he or she would see is this eye-catching title.
Now let me come back to the picture on the left side of the advert. Actually there are three pictures, one below the other, of a dark coloured woman who shows three different facial expressions in each of the photos. On the first picture she is sitting on a chair, seeming to be shocked about something or maybe just doing so. In the second picture the young woman smiles and laughs at something. She seems to be amazed about something she maybe remembers. The third and last picture shows the woman making a kind of suspicious expression.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The author outlines the scope of the study, focusing on the comparative analysis of advertisements in British men's and women's magazines.
2. Company: This chapter introduces the magazine "Company," characterizing it as a lifestyle publication for young women with a focus on fashion, beauty, and health.
3. Maxim: This chapter describes "Maxim" as a popular "lad mag" for young men, highlighting its content ranging from entertainment to humor and its international reach.
4. Adverts in “Company”: The section analyzes three specific advertisements from the women's magazine, examining the use of emotional appeal, detailed information, and narrative structures.
5. Adverts in “Maxim”: This section investigates three advertisements from the men's magazine, focusing on visual impact, irony, and the direct use of "sex sells" marketing strategies.
6. Comparison – Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes findings, noting that while advertising strategies differ in tone and detail, both categories leverage beauty and social aspiration to drive consumer behavior.
Keywords
Advertising, Gender-specific marketing, Magazine analysis, Company magazine, Maxim magazine, Consumer behavior, Visual rhetoric, Beauty standards, Sex sells, Print media, Brand communication, Celebrity endorsement, Target audience, Marketing techniques, Comparative study.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the differences and similarities in advertising techniques used in British women's magazines (Company) and men's magazines (Maxim) during the year 2006.
What magazines were selected for the analysis?
The author selected "Company," a glossy magazine aimed at young women, and "Maxim," a renowned "lad mag" aimed at young men.
What is the central research question?
The work examines how advertisements influence readers differently based on gender and explores the specific techniques used by advertisers to reach their respective audiences.
Which methodology is used to evaluate the ads?
The author uses a qualitative descriptive approach, analyzing the interplay between pictorial elements, headlines, body text, and the overall marketing intent of specific advertisements.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body provides detailed case studies of three advertisements for each magazine, followed by a comparative analysis of their stylistic and strategic differences.
Which key terms describe the advertising strategies observed?
The author identifies "sex sells" and irony as key elements in men's advertisements, while emphasizing the importance of detailed information, beauty, and emotional identification in women's advertisements.
Why does the author consider the “Sure” advertisement unique in its presentation?
The "Sure" advertisement is noted for its use of narrative storytelling and rhetorical questioning, designed to engage the reader's personal identification with the "sticky situation" described.
How does the “Gillette – Fusion” advertisement employ visual tactics to engage men?
The advertisement uses a two-page spread featuring an attractive model, leveraging ambiguity regarding the "front" and "back" of the subject to draw attention to the razor's dual-sided technology.
- Quote paper
- Susan Waezi (Author), 2006, Comparison of adverts in typical men and women magazines, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/69644
