Portrayal Of Women In Advertisements

Every time the television is on, we get an advertisement. Everyone gets them all the time, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. That’s what this world is made of. Every business tries to sell you on their product by posting an advertisement. Lately there has been a lot about beauty, and women, in general. When you turn on the television, and there is a size zero model showing the product, women feel like they must be just like the model. The advertisement used was Dove Essential Body, which was found on YouTube published on May 12, 2013. The advertisement starts out with asking, “Can great-feeling skin change your body language?” on the screen. Then completely changes to five of the white lotion bottles. The ad continues to move its way to a brunette woman wearing a tightly fitted white tank top and white pants with a little black belt, writing, “your skin,” on the screen with a ten next to it. The voice of the prompter takes over telling the people watching the advertisement that your skin will feel amazing for ten days after. According to this advertisement, finally getting back to the first question, that this lotion from Dove is supposed leave your skin feeling so amazing that your body language will show it. The advertisement ends with the lotion on the screen and writing that says that you will save ½. And the voice comes over the audio for the last time saying, “All the nutrients, half the price, at Boots.” Though some people will argue each side, whether it works on people’s skin, it is used all the time.  The advertisement by Dove uses women’s need for acceptance to purchase Dove’s body care through their text, models, and dialogue. 

The big idea from the advertisement was shown through women’s need for acceptance. This is idea is shown when there is a petite, brown haired woman in a white sports bra and white shorts rubbing the lotion into her skin. Then she proceeds to flaunt her fresh skin on a walk down the street. The advertisement is showing the need for acceptance because women are supposed to be clean, dressed nice, and work hard at the things that are important to them. This advertisement shows this because she is all three of those things in her clean, white bed.

The use of text in the advertisement was evident from the beginning of the advertisement. The Dove commercial starts with a text across the screen asking, “Can great-feeling skin change your body language?” According to the ad, great skin can change people’s body language because it is evident with how the woman changed right away after applying the lotion. Watching this advertisement, might make people believe right away that their skin can change, too. Another use of text used in the Dove commercial was the statement, “All the nutrients, and half the price.” This is something every person wants. Not a lot of people want to spend a fortune on a good lotion, that is good for their body. Lastly, the use of text during this ad shows the need for women and their acceptance. 

Between the use of text in the commercial, there is also a use of models. The need for acceptance for all women should be shown in every ad or commercial being used. The models used in this commercial were petite and had brown hair. However, one was with shorter hair to their shoulders, and the other women had longer hair with bangs. This shows that women do not have to have a certain type of hairstyle to be a woman. Everyone was created to be happy in their skin, and whether means their head is shaved, short or long, they should still be accepted in society. Another use of models for acceptance was when there was a woman on the bed rubbing lotion into her leg. She was wearing a white sports bra and white shorts, but she was very petite and fit. However, she had rolls on her stomach, while rubbing the lotion into her legs. That is another thing woman should not have to beg for acceptance. Every person was created different, and the extra skin on someone’s body should not affect what other people think of that person. That is highly untrue, though. Everyone is judgmental and everyone thinks there is something wrong or that can be changed with another person. Lastly, there is a lot of things this world can change, and maybe it starts with acceptance everyone for who they are. 

Through the commercial, there was a couple of different models shown, but there was also dialogue throughout the commercial, too. The feminine voice over the screen exclaimed, “For skin that feels so good, your body language shows it.” Throughout the commercial, their skin looked flawless, and that is shown when the lady said that their body language would change. The one woman went from rubbing lotion on her legs to flaunting her body off down the street. She felt like she was a different person after using the lotion, which leads people to think it can change someone’s body language. When women are strutting down the street, it makes them look more professional and accepted in our society now. This is also something that could affect why women are still seeking the need of acceptance because they think they must be the best version of themselves. Because it is shown in a commercial most people think they must strive to be that person.  

In conclusion, the need for women’s acceptance is struggling to be met because there are things this world needs to work on, but in the Dove’s, advertisement shows this with their use of text, models, and dialogue. Advertisements are used in daily life, and they are used by everyone that watches them because they will be the next ones running to the store purchase the item. If something does not change in this world, and women are still begging for acceptance, then nothing will ever change because others will always put them down.