Whatever. What sells, sells. I think the women's movement is past the point of fighting for better advertising, when you consider how ubiquitous it is.
But there are moments when enough is well and truly enough, and where the advertisement is so ridiculous that there is really no method of defending it.
Above is a Taco Bell ad from last summer, for the Bacon Club Chalupa.
The basic premise? Two girls walk into a bar. One has a Bacon Club Chalupa in her purse, the other does not. The girl with the bacon is surrounded by males. The girl without the bacon is not.
The entertainment industry seems set on the idea that women are simply not complete without a guy around. But the Taco Bell ad takes it one step further. Again, woman walks into a bar with a chalupa in her purse, because 'guys love bacon', and ends up with three of them at her table, ignoring her equally made-up, bacon-less friend.
Granted, I'll give credit where credit is due for good methods. The idea of smell bringing the guys to the table can be likened to pheromones. The guys are all fairly good-looking (giving credence to the idea that this whole premise might actually work).
But the commercial is insulting because it makes it seem like a woman will do virtually anything to get a guy. Ruin the lining of a nice, probably moderately expensive purse, and have it reek of bacon and sour cream for weeks, just so you might get a guy's number? It seems like a little much to go through just for a cute guy you could meet at a coffee shop (bacon free). Are women really seen as that desperate and insecure, and therefore exploitable for an advertisement? I suppose this ad is funny, if you're a guy (guys do apparently love bacon), but where is the ad that has women crawling over each other to get to a guy? Oh yeah. Axe commercials. Just as flattering.
Maybe women want to know how to meet guys, and maybe they're willing to try new things to meet said guys, but I highly doubt that any woman is going to go to a bar, made up in a pretty dress, with Mexican food in her purse, just to get a guy. But because of stereotypes, women are apparently desperate enough to do this and have it be a believable scenario.
It all begs the question: will women always be the butt of the ad industry's joke? Or will we see a point where ads play on men's insecurities, men's stereotypes? Or, god forbid, will there be a point where ads actually advertise a product, without any gimmicks?
1) the pop culture item is a Taco Bell commercial
ReplyDelete2) main point: "I think the women's movement is past the point of fighting for better advertising, when you consider how ubiquitous it is."
main point is a little vague and general.
3) Assuming that the audience is female consumers, this article well reflects women's dissatisfaction towards modern advertisements.
4) The advertisement shows well how it puts women into a box of stereotypes.
5) comment: the notion about "a women will do virtually anything to get a guy" seems out of place in this article because all the woman did in the advertisement was putting a chalupa in her purse. Though it'd make her purse smell like chalupa, it hardly seems to make this action, "do anything."
What is the popular culture item they are talking about?
ReplyDeleteTaco Bell ad
What is their main point? Copy and paste what you've identified as their main claim into comments section. How clear is the main idea?
I think the women's movement is past the point of fighting for better advertising, when you consider how ubiquitous it is.
It is quite clear but can be more specific maybe.
Has the author taken their specialized audience into account?
Yes, she did. The author stood on the female side.
Are the visual elements well organized and effective? What could they improve?
Yes. A good example is in the appropriate place to make the audience think.
Answer the author's question or concern
What is the matter with the title?Should it be like this originally?