Advertisements obviously are supposed to make an audience want to purchase a product. Although it can be easy to tell which commercials are aimed at men versus women, I never really considered the air time of such commercials until a year ago, when I first began learning about the creation of advertisements. Air time of televised advertisements is key. There are way more beauty-product and house-cleaning ads during daytime television than nighttime television. And during a sports game, you are much more likely to see an ad for men's body spray or beer. In some way, this seems offensive. But, it's hard to define what's offensive about it. Regardless, it's genius. Obviously, these television and product companies have a very specific, and most likely successful, marketing strategy because commercials are played like this on every channel. Even commercials for children are played earlier in the day, when children are more likely to be watching. But, in reality, they're not commercials for children; they're commercials for parents, simply using children to get moms and dads to buy a product.
Commercials, in most cases, do not care how or why they appeal to you, all they care about is that they do. Their objective is to get you to pull out your credit card or drive to the nearest store and buy their product, regardless of how they get you to do so. I am excited to talk more during class about some of the deeper, almost subliminal, tactics used in advertisements, both from the past and in the present.
When I think of advertisements that I absolutely cannot stand, the first one that comes to mind is the Game of War commercial with model Kate Upton. This mobile gaming app actually has a series of ads starring Kate Upton, but they all ultimately sicken me. It is no secret that Upton is an attractive woman, but I could not be any less attracted to these commercials. The game company is using Upton as a stereotypical "hot and sexy" lure. Between the way she is dressed, or shall I say not dressed, it is evident that the Game of War advertisements are targeting men. I find it insulting that any company would have the audacity to make an advertisement like these ones that are basically gaining downloads for the app because of Kate Upton's appearance. It's stuff like this that reinforces the stereotype that men are pigs, and I cannot stand that.
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