Sex Selling for Selling Products!

    Women have been objectified and, in certain cases, ridiculed or degraded since the inception of advertising many years ago. Despite all the efforts of many, it appears that objectification and the irresponsible usage of sexualized women in commercial campaigns are still prevalent in society. Objectification is now normalized in the world of advertising and is regarded as an element of advertising by the general public. Most of the advertisers cast females in their advertisements to entice and attract people towards the product or service. In advertisements, women are portrayed as delicate, perfect, and glamorous. It is stereotyped that women should look a certain way, they should have a well-maintained figure, her face should be wrinkleless and spotless.

    Woman objectification dates back to times of print media. A print ad of Van Heusen displayed a man lying in bed and a woman serving him. The tagline read “show her it’s a man’s world” giving out the message pandering to the reality that it is a man's world, and they should be in charge. A perfume brand Tom Ford launched an advertisement for their perfume line for men but the irony in the ad was that the perfume bottle was placed between a woman’s breast though she had nothing to do with a men’s perfume. These are just a few examples, however, there is a myriad of brands that believe in sex selling to promote themselves.

Source: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Van-Heusen-Mans-World-Ad/15858143

    Despite the 1970s women's independence movement, and even in the age of #MeToo, gender stereotypes persist in the advertising world. For many decades, people are working on woman empowerment but such a portrayed of women in advertisements can have adverse effects on women, especially young girls as it builds a false narrative in their minds that you have to have all these qualities and features to fit the definition of a beautiful, perfect woman.

    Pakistan and India are no exception when it comes to objectifying women for the sake of selling the product. We Desis have an obsession with fair skin tone. Fair and Lovely, Skin White, Nisha, Golden Pearl beauty cream, Dove Prickle, Dove Cleansing Milk, Face Fresh, Hoor beauty soap, are only a few examples of commercials that emphasize and idealize white skin as a benchmark of feminine beauty. These commercials provide a strong message to women in general, and young girls in particular, that they must have a fair and white complexion in order to be accepted in this sexist society.

Source: https://aleenacosmetics.com/product/golden-pearl-beauty-cream-28gm/

    Another sexist thing often shown in ads is that women should have long and shiny hair to fit the standard of beauty in society. For example, Life Boy, Sun Silk, Head & Shoulders, and Dove) represents long, bouncy hair as the inherent power of femininity. These commercials depict women/girls with dull hair who are anxious and frustrated. After using a specific shampoo, the same woman or girl appears to be more confident, physically appealing, and a main focus of attention. There are several creams in the market that advertise their products by endorsing actresses with soft flawless skin seeing which many women aspire to achieve that type of skin.

Source: https://www.brandsynario.com/head-shoulder-kareena-kapoor-see-it-smell-it-feel-it/

    However, things have started to change for the better. Women of today are very well aware of their rights and have the audacity to deviate from the falsely-build narrative of a perfect woman. Advertisers are increasingly shifting away from the vision of perfection constructed in the past due to criticism from individuals, particularly women. Fair and Lovely, for example, promoted their product with the promise of achieving a fair skin tone and so seeming attractive. However, they have changed their name to "Glow and Lovely" after receiving so much negative feedback. Similarly, Dove has altered its marketing strategy. It now casts women with unique hair, not simply stereotyped hair, and promotes actual and different women, which is an applaudable approach.

Source: https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/5-things-you-should-know-before-expanding-your-business-globally-8cd2998c3125

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/561542647259982150/

    Recently, Shan launched their ad campaign which was emotionally appealing and resonated with a lot of women in the country. It is no secret that a lot of women in our country have to give up on their careers and studies after getting married. Shan took up the issue that advertised it in the best way possible. The ad garnered a lot of appreciation from people across the country. It depicts a daughter-in-law taking the oath to become a doctor, with her mother-in-law in the audience at first. The way the mother-in-law repeats the oath's words but confines them to the house is powerful and engrossing. Furthermore, when the 'bahu' produces a kid and leaves it in the care of her mother-in-law who then cooks food with Shan Foods. She then takes it to work with her kid, and it's the cutest thing you'll ever see. Shan Foods then shifted our attention to an important issue approximately 77% of female doctors in our country are unable to practice after achieving their degree. The gripping storyline of the ad garnered a lot of appreciation from people across the country.

Source: https://www.trendinginsocial.com/shan-foods-oath-for-her-doctor-bahu-tvc-2022/

    It is high time for advertisers to change the dynamics of the portrayal of women. Women should be portrayed as powerful, strong and career-oriented instead of beautiful. They need to shift from the psyche that their product would only sell if women are cast in the advertisement.