How Women are Perceived in Advertising

1. What is the purpose of the ad you’re bringing in?
The ad is for Axe Shower Gel/ Body Wash.
2. Who is the intended audience?
This is for the male audience, more likely younger men, from teens to men in their late twenties.
3. What does the advertisement look like?
The advertisement has a woman’s body in a show, and she is covered in mud. Written on her stomach is “wash me”, like people write on a muddy car or truck.
4. How does the visual and textual content of the ad work together to create a persuasive argument?
The text in very minimal, the main thought behind the image is to get dirty while to get clean. This is not stated, however, their slogan “get dirty” references to the product type which is shower gel.
5. Which of Neumeier’s “7 Levels of Communication” are prominently used in this ad?
Sensuality all the way, this is a very sexually based advertisement, meant to grab a man’s attention and notice the product.
6. What are the cultural values promoted in this advertisement?
The cultural values seem to be the old stereotype “sex sells”. Using the female body to attract the attention of men, while making a connection the cultural habits of writing “wash me” on dirty cars. Using the woman as a dirty object that needs washing.
7. What works or doesn’t work about this advertisement?
What works is that the focal point works well at grabbing the attention of the male audience. What doesn’t work is that the product and the text are too small to really be useful.