score

1) How did advertising techniques change in the 1960s and how does the Score advert reflect this change?
- Advertising techniques changed in the 1960s due to advertising agencies relying less on market research and leaning toward creative instinct in planning their campaigns. The Score advert changed this as the advert focuses on an image rather than the product itself. The product being demonstrated is a small image at the bottom of the text whereas the poster primarily relies on the image of a man and several women to try and sell the product. 

2) What representations of women were found in post-war British advertising campaigns?
- Negative representations of women were found as women were seen as sexual objects. The objectification of women was used by advertising agencies to try and sell the product to a male audience. Female bodies were used as part of the 'male gaze' (Laura Mulvey) and was clearly done by advertisers to attract the audiences attention to the product. There forth, women were heavily objectified by men ultimately to sell the product they are promoting. 

3) Conduct your own semiotic analysis of the Score hair cream advert: What are the connotations of the mise-en-scene in the image?
- The setting of the advert suggests a safari and jungle vibe. The clothing worn by the male within the advert suggests this with a hunters type of style top along with shorts. The phallic symbol of the gun is used as a sexual innuendo. Furthermore, females are used and sexually objectified within the advert to attract a male audience which is ultimately the audience the product is being sold too. The women wear less clothes and skin is shown which instantly attracts a males attention.  

4) What does the factsheet suggest in terms of a narrative analysis of the Score hair cream advert?
- The factsheet suggests the analysis is presented as  aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, the man in the advert is identified to the audience as a 'hero' (Propp) within the narrative. The advert suggests that the male is the worker such as being a 'hunter' within his 'tribe' which the advert suggests. Due to the male being revealed to be a 'hero', it would encourage a male audience to want to be the 'hero' in their own life. The women are shown to be the mans prize for doing his job. 

5) How might an audience have responded to the advert in 1967? What about in 2019?
-  In 1967, and audience would of had no issue with the advert as women were identified to be the 'more submissive' gender whereas males were 'dominant.' However, in 2019, women's rights have become increasingly equal to that of men. If the advert were to be shown in the modern age, there would be an outrage due to the way women's rights have progressed. 

6) How does the Score hair cream advert use persuasive techniques (e.g. anchorage text, slogan, product information) to sell the product to an audience?
- The Score advert uses persuasive techniques to sell the product towards the audience mainly through the use of female objectification. Women were subjected to wearing limited clothes and this would appeal to men. The product is displayed at the bottom of the scream which ultimately demonstrates how the product is not the main focus of the advert. The main focus consists of male power compared to women. The text is in a small box and this also shows how the image is more important than the text itself. 

7) How might you apply feminist theory to the Score hair cream advert - such as van Zoonen, bell hooks or Judith Butler?
- Van Zoonen can clearly be applied to this advert as women are clearly being objectified and subject to the heroes masculine power. Women within the advert are demonstrated to be the males award for being masculine. Judith Butler's feminist theory, can be applied as they reveal the difference between male and female equality. Men are the heroes whereas women have no sense of power. Women also are used as somewhat 'slaves' and clearly men are superior. 

8) How could Stuart Hall's theory of representation and David Gauntlett's theory regarding gender identity be applied to the Score hair cream advert?
- These theories can be applied to the advert as they suggest the gender differences that were evident within the 1960's. Where men were seen as powerful and fighters, women were seen as rewards to men after their hard work. The imbalance of power between genders would not be accepted in the modern day due to how women's rights have drastically come since the 1960's. 

9) What representation of sexuality can be found in the advert and why might this link to the 1967 decriminalisation of homosexuality (historical and cultural context)?
- Masculinity in the advert is represented through power and dominance. The male protagonist in the advert is revealed as a hero and shows how women are reliant on the protection of men. Ultimately, men are perceived as powerful and women are shown to be the prize of the man's hard work. This allows men to revealed to be the dominant gender and reinforce societal standards. 

10) How does the advert reflect Britain's colonial past - another important historical and cultural context?
- The advert conveys to the audience Britain's colonial past due to the mise-en-scene of the advert. The costumes both men and women are wearing suggest a jungle style in which foreign countries may habit. Furthermore, the weapon the man carries suggests his power which demonstrates to the audience how Britain had power over colonies in the past.  


Wider reading

The Drum: This Boy Can article

Read this article from The Drum magazine on gender and the new masculinity. If the Drum website is blocked, you can find the text of the article here. Think about how the issues raised in this article link to our Score hair cream advert CSP and then answer the following questions:

1) Why does the writer suggest that we may face a "growing 'boy crisis'"?
- The writer suggests this as boys growing up in modern day society may question what society states is the way to behave and act as a 'man' which means boys will not know how to act in society. Furthermore, as more people are comfortable and being identified as homosexual or transgender etc, boys will question their own sexuality which means boys will defy what is associated as a man's behaviour. The writer believes due to homosexuality being increasingly accepted in society, more boys will question their sexuality. 

2) How has the Axe/Lynx brand changed its marketing to present a different representation of masculinity?
- Axe/Lynx has changed its marketing to portray masculinity in a different way to allow all boys and men to feel comfortable with themselves. Some boys may not be as strong and act the same as someone within the advert so the company changed the marketing to allow those too feel accepted.

3) How does campaigner David Brockway, quoted in the article, suggest advertisers "totally reinvent gender constructs"?
- Advertisers reinvent gender constructs by advertisers ''dare to paint a world where boys like pink, don’t like going out and getting dirty, or aren’t career ambitious, for example.'' This clearly reveals that advertisers are trying to change the way male and female stereotypes are perceived. 

4) How have changes in family and society altered how brands are targeting their products?
- Changes in both family and society have caused brands to change who they target their brand towards due to the way male and females are being shown in modern society and being perceived in this day and age. Due to boys and girls allowing genders to be reconstructed means that brands have to target audiences who are classed in a certain way and to appeal to both genders. 

5) Why does Fernando Desouches, Axe/Lynx global brand development director, say you've got to "set the platform" before you explode the myth of masculinity?
- Desouches states this as masculinity is clearly changing and that the being yourself is what the brand supports meaning they do not care about a persons sexuality etc. “What being a man means, and what ‘success’ means, is changing and this change is for the good. The message hasn’t exploded yet but we will make it explode. We will democratise it.” This reveals how the director wants to set societal standards. 


Campaign: Why brands need to change

Read this Campaign article on Joseph Gelfer and why brands need to change their approach to marketing masculinity. If the Campaign website is blocked, you can find the text of the article here. Think about how the article relates to our work on gender and advertising then answer the following questions:

1) What are two ways advertising traditionally presented masculinity and why does the writer Joseph Gelfer suggest this needs to change?
- Advertising traditionally presents masculinity both through, ''either a glamorous James Bond-style masculinity that attracted ‘the ladies’, or a buffoon-style masculinity that was firmly under the wifely thumb'' which indicates how masculinity is perceived in society. Gelfer suggests this needs to change as people need to perceive masculinity in different ways and allow males to behave how they want instead of living up to societal expectations which may make them feel uncomfortable. 

2) What are the five stages of masculinity?
- Stage 1 is defined as "unconscious masculinity", which means that traditional masculinity has been adopted by someone without them even thinking about it.
- Stage 2 is defined as "conscious masculinity", which means that traditional masculinity has been consciously adopted by someone.
- Stage 3 is defined as "critical masculinities" and is largely aligned with feminist thought. People at Stage 3 are aware that society is often patriarchal and homophobic and want to counter these problems.
- Stage 4 is defined as "multiple masculinities" and suggests that masculinity can mean anything to anyone.
- Stage 5 is defined as "beyond masculinities" and proposes the simple truth that masculinity does not exist.

3) What stage of masculinity do you feel you are at in terms of your views of gender and identity? You can read more about the five stages of masculinity here.
- I believe I am at stage 3. This means that I believe there are issues with patriarchy and homophobia within society and want to allow people to be happy with themselves in society. I also do not have a problem with peoples sexuality or their views on male and female behaviour. This is the reason I believe I am at stage 3 when it comes to the five stages of masculinity along with most people in our generation. 

4) What stage of masculinity was the Score advert aiming at in 1967?
- The Score advert in 1967 was targeted at stage 1 as women were seen as slaves to men as they were inferior and submissive to male dominance in society. Females wore less clothing in the advert and were shown to be sexual symbols in society and were appealing to the male gaze. (Mulvey) Women were depicted to serve men who were accepted as the dominant gender in society in 1967. 

5) Why are the stages of masculinity important for companies and advertisers when targeting an audience?
- The stages of masculinity are important for companies and advertisers so that they can allocate their product towards a certain type of group. The product needs to target audiences which sit in a certain stage in society so that they can sell a successful product. Furthermore, they do not want to upset certain groups of people in society.