December 10, 2007

Magazine ads..are they offensive?!

As you know, I am writing my paper on women's image in advertising and how it can devalue women and their body image, especially the ads in Shape magazine. This was one of the ads that I found interesting because it is the Deal or No Deal models, in conjunction with the Ford Motor company. This ad could be seen as offensive to a breast cancer survivor, or patient, since the girls are all wearing tight fitting shirts, are all young, etc. I just wanted to give you guys some food for thought, and raise your awareness to such things, (especially when looking at Shape) since we have limited time on wed. and how Spitzack would view this and how these models are unrealistic .....I also attached the press release on what was put out by Ford. I was going to email the two female board members at Ford, since both were involved with hospitals, and one worked for the American Cancer Society..just to see what they thought! if they were even aware that the ad couls be offensive..or not...do you guys think the ad is offensive?

FORD WARRIORS IN PINK TEAMS WITH NBC'S "DEAL OR NO DEAL" TO RAISE BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

DEARBORN, Mich., October 4, 2007 – Ford’s Warriors in Pink, Howie Mandel and the models of NBC’s highly popular "Deal or No Deal" are working together to say "NO DEAL" to breast cancer. A special episode of "Deal or No Deal," will air October 19 at 8 p.m. ET /7 p.m. CT to raise breast cancer awareness, the first step in early detection, and support Ford’s long standing relationship with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Dressed in pink, the "Deal or No Deal" models and Mandel will direct viewers to www.fordcares.com to find out more about Ford’s efforts and how everyone can get involved to help in the fight against breast cancer.

Wearing Warriors in Pink t-shirts and scarves, eleven of the “Deal or No Deal” models also posed for a print campaign, which will be featured in publications such as InStyle, US Weekly, TV Guide and Women’s Health, starting October 8. The Warriors in Pink apparel the models are wearing is available on Fordcares.com and 100 percent of the net proceeds will be donated to Komen for the Cure.

Fans who tune into "Deal or No Deal" will also see a special message featuring the Deal or No Deal models encouraging involvement and instilling passion against the disease. During the special episode, three lucky viewers will get the opportunity to win through a special Play At Home Lucky Case Game, a highly coveted 2008 Mustang with Warriors in Pink package, a limited-edition first-ever Ford vehicle designed exclusively in support of Komen for the Cure. Each sale of the in-demand vehicle provides a donation to Komen for the Cure.

In addition, contestant Ashlee Mundy, a breast cancer survivor, is joined by Sharon Osborne in-studio and receives a special message from Elizabeth Edwards and Alec Baldwin via satellite. Elizabeth Edwards has battled breast cancer and Alec Baldwin's mother has a foundation in her name, the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund out of Stony Brook, New York.

5 comments:

lizemery said...

I know its probably a little late now but there was a study put out by the Journal of American Academic Pediatrics that looked at the influence of the magazines on your weight concerns, weight loss activities, and your perceptions of body weight and shape. They found that the pictures in magazines had a considerable impact on your perceptions of your weight and shape. The study showed that there was a positive relationship between the frequency of reading women’s magazines and the frequency of having dieted to lose weight because of a magazine article. The more magazines the girls read, the more they had tried to lose weight or were unhappier with their bodies. Some girls also started an exercise program, wanted to lose weight, and felt that their body was not the perfect shape all because of the magazines they had read. According to the study, girls who were consistent readers of fashion magazines were two to three times more likely than occasional readers to diet to lose weight because of a magazine article. In addition, occasional readers were more likely than infrequent readers of fashion magazines to report exercising because of a magazine article and feeling that magazines influence what they believe is the ideal body shape.

Meg said...

Thanks for the reply Liz! Not too late, as that is what I am finding. Sad but true. I don't think the readers, young and old, realize images are airbrushed.

lhutton said...

I feel like this particular article relates to your paper (meg) as well as my own. In a way this ad can be critiqued for using the model and the breast cancer cause to promote their own brand. If they were so concerned about making a contribution to breast cancer awareness I'm sure there is much more apporiate ways to go about it than showcasing their support on Deal or No Deal. But I guess that is a classic case of cause-marketing.

Meg said...

which, advertisers know appeal to women (cause marketing)...

JK said...

It's actually really disturbing that the advertisers chose to depict women who are clearly healthy and put them in tight shirts showing off their perfect breasts. But, really can we blame the advertisers or the American public? Look at how much attention this ad is getting- if this same ad displayed older, less attractive women, it would probably not have the same affect on the public unless the person viewing the ad was somehow previously affected by breast cancer. Sad...