Representation Analysis

Representation One: Tide:

This Tide commercial takes place in a bright colorful living room. In the center of the screen, the viewer sees a woman being interviewed and her daughter on the ground playing. The woman is wearing a pink sweater that matches the rest of the pink decoration in the background. The pink sweater, along with the pink pillows and curtains, are used to represent feminism due to its "girly" color. On the floor next to the women, a girl is seen playing with building blocks. The little girl is wearing cargo shorts and a camouflage hoddie which the mom clearly doesn't like. The mother starts the interview by clarifying why her daughter is wearing shorts and a hoodie by saying "we tried the whole pink thing". The mother is clearly trying to find an excuse for which her daughter is not dressed in pink but is unable to find one. She then proceeds to say "all she wants to do is wear shorts and hoodies and getting dirty" which, judging by her tone and facial expressions, she is embarrassed of.  This can have a horrible effect on young girls who are not necessarily a "girlygirl" but are girls who simply decide to wear whatever they feel comfortable in. Overall, this commercial uses the stereotypical mentality that cargo shorts and hoodies are for men and that pink is a color worn by women.

Representation Two: Axe:

This Axe ad starts with a young woman wearing a red bikini, she is seen running through the forest as if she is chasing something or someone. The woman’s bikini is used to symbolize love and affection due to its red color. Furthermore, the women’s running is then slowed down to show specifically the movement of her breast. This technique is mainly used to catch the attention of men. Shortly after, different types of girls wearing bikinis show up and are also running in the same direction. Multiple distinct shots are used to help the viewer understand the mass amount of girls that are running in bikinis towards the same place. The camera then cuts to a shot of a shirtless men spraying deodorant on himself as all the woman chase after him. This commercial uses the female body to attract male customers to buy their product. A possible effect of this ad could be the marginalization of women due to the fact that these types of ads make them look like an easy target.