Representation of women in Advetisements

Negative Representation



In this advertisement, the representation of women is signified through the two binary oppositions of the ‘Librarian’ and the ‘Blonde Woman’. The ‘Librarian’ is represented as androgynous and somewhat of a feminist, due to her manlike clothing and bulky appearance which is heavily contrasted with the ‘Blonde Woman’. She is also working in a library, with a book, which represents her as an intellectual and self-driven woman, and the fact that she isn’t self objectifying her, shows that she doesn’t seems to desire any male attention, creating a positive representation of a woman since she is not self-objectifying herself for the male audience and not fulfilling their needs for sexual allurement.

On the other hand the ‘Blonde Woman’, is a stereotypical representation of a ‘Blonde Woman’. She is pretty, dim-witted and slow. Compared to the Librarian, the ‘Blonde Woman’ seems to be self objectifying herself, since she has her hair done, dressed nicely in a fitted dress and is wearing make-up. She seems to be addressing the male audience with her appearance and to attract the male audience into buying the ‘Mercedes- Benz E- Klasse.

Advertisements mostly use humour, and the humour in this advert is placed on the Blonde Woman, following the ideology that blonde women are ‘dumb’ (Blonde Jokes- began in the 1900’s, which is obviously a negative representation of women, especially blonde women.
Furthermore the advertisement is also objectifying her to the car; the ‘Mercedes- Benz E-Klasse’ applying the slogan/Tagline, ‘Beauty is nothing without brains’ on both the ‘Blonde Woman’ and the car, which is degrading and subordinating the woman in the advertisement, since she is compared to the car. Woman being compared to products and objects in advertising is something that is very popular in advertising, which highlights the fact that we live in a patriarchal society.

However the Slogan/Tagline puts across a positive representation on women, highlighting the Blonde Woman’s stupidity and that it is not appealing, showcasing the Librarian as a smart and intellectual woman. The binary opposition of the librarian and the blonde woman, allows the audience to judge which one of the women is better represented as women, and to ridicule the blonde woman for be so dim-witted.


Positive Representation



This representation of women is very different, the fact the woman is singing opera connotes that she is sophisticated, talented and elite, which are very idyllic and desirable describtions for a woman and are also very positive representations of women. The fact that she is not self-objectifying herself or is being self-objectifyied shows that she is not adhering to the male gaze shows that she is respected and is being celebrated for her talent. The woman in the advertisement is being presented in a high-angle shot which protrays her as innocent and her facail expression of emotional stress allow the audience to feel sypathetic towards her. The intertexaulity of this advertisement (Je ne regette rien) puts forwards its idealogies and values into the product (Specsavers), such as its sophistication and eliteness.