How Are Notions of Masculinity Represented in Advertising

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Introduction

Diverse notions on masculinity aspects are significantly represented in advertising and promotional campaigns of various products. This is due to their effectiveness in promoting sales of products that in turn leads to high profitability in various institutions. As noted by scholars, the evident notions that appertain to masculinity are credible and relevant since most individuals tend to identify themselves with items that depict or portray their characteristic traits.

For instance, men tend to associate themselves with items that portray them as strong, active, tough and aggressive people while women like products that depict their feminine nature. This explains why gender advertisements are relevant, especially in the modern society. It also explains the need for its adoption by institutions that aspire to record exemplary performance.

In the US, gender based advertisement that is an agent of socialization in modern industrial society is widely used because people define themselves by gender. It is also used since gender based adverts contribute to maintaining certain social engagements and constructions among individuals¹. It has led to the improvement of general performance in most companies such as Nivea, Samsung and alcoholic corporations.

The companies have been adopting masculinity as a marketing strategy to help in attracting more men to relate with their products and subsequently enticing them to consume the products. The companies’ used this strategy to give the notion that the brands they sell contribute to enhancing certain characteristics of men as evident in Hollywood era advertisements.

This has made most men get attracted with certain alcoholic brands such as Smirnoff and Tusker since they believe that the products hold the capacity of enhancing their true character traits.

Picture adverts with masculine images and evaluation

Indeed, the recent tendency to use masculine celebrities in adverts is not only meant to promote sales of various products that are traditionally regarded as “women’s products”, but to promote the explicit reinforcement of gender stereotypes. The advertisements emphasize the idea that men are ever conquerors and that the products make them more irresistible to women². They give men a sense of identity that is significant for their social engagements.

Variably, the adverts, for example Nivea advertisement, reinforce that notion that men become more active and bold when they use the product while women are depicted as individuals who get highly attracted to men who use the product. The Nivea advert depicts this notion in a clear and enticing manner as evident in the advert below.

Nivea adverts shown above give clear attestation on the role that men or individuals with masculine features play in enhancing sales of the product. They give an impression that men can become more attractive when they use the product. They also show that men can become more brave, bold and good social partners since the product enhances their looks.

The images are strategically placed to enable men to identify with the product with an aim of attaining some of the crucial qualities that they need in life. This is evident since the pictures are addressing consumers directly by creating a positive perception in their minds about the product and its potential users.

This has helped in eradicating the traditional stereotypes that has been hampering the sale of Nivea among men since the product was depicted as a woman’s beauty enhancer. As indicated, the advertisement conveys credible massages to both men and women. Firstly, it portrays men as brave, responsible and active personalities who hold the capacity to tackle any issue that may confront them.

Secondly, it portrays men as potential users of Nivea and that the product can effectively revitalize their looks hence they will become more active socially. Similarly, women are depicted as individuals who like or get attracted to men who make bold decisions with the aim of improving their looks.

Consequently, the pictures below show how masculinity concept has been used in the advertisement of Castle ledger and Smirnoff that are renowned beer brands globally. The use of men’s images gives an acute impression that the products hold the capacity of enhancing bravery level of men⁴. They also depict men as active and flexible individuals. They give the notion that the alcoholic brands are able to turn around men’s lifestyle by instilling noble qualities that most men aspire.

*Advertisements for Smirnoff and Castle ledger.⁵*

How notions of masculinity are represented in advertising

Notions of masculinity are represented in advertising in diverse forms that include visual or verbal and imagery forms. The notions help in creating awareness in individuals about products that suits them best and that gives them a sense of identity⁶. They have been instrumental in enhancing social construction, unity and understanding among individuals of different genders. This is evident since men and women have been able to make relevant selections and purchase items that gave them absolute satisfaction.

The idea about masculinity as a marketing tool is to enable companies to identify and deliver their services to properly segment markets to enhance sales. This ensures that products that are intended to be used by men are well sold to men while female items are also sold to women. It also ensures that producer’s focuses on key customers and produces items that best satisfy their needs with limited complications.

The notions have been used as strategic performance tools since women and men have different behaviors, attitudinal aspects and social status that inform their life ideals or choices. The behavioral and attitudinal differences make them equally distinct in terms of their needs and social engagements. Indeed, men need items that build their body structure, enhance their confidence and make them active as evident in the Nivea, castle ledger and Hollywood era adverts⁷.

On the contrary, women are always in need of items that portray their feminine nature that relate them to smartness and good looks. This gives credible explanation why men and women’s images, such as Sean John, are increasingly being used in advertisements of diverse products.

Therefore, masculinity that is currently being represented in advertising helps them identify and understand the suitability of various products in advancing their wellbeing. This enables them to make viable decisions when purchasing various products especially for those who have no information about the role of the items.

For instance, feminine images are being placed on advertisements that create awareness on products that enhances beauty such as body lotions to enable women to understand that the product suits them best. Variably, men are attached to the advertisements that display products that enhance strength, confidentiality, activeness and innovation⁸. They are used in advertising products such as Smirnoff beer that is believed to enhance individual’s active nature and strength.

The advertisement creates the notion that if one drinks the beer then he is bound to be more active and confident like a king. Some companies also use sportsmen in their advertisements to give a notion that the item that is advertised is a major contributor to their status.

This makes the adverts enticing and attractive to various individuals since they draw their attention hence they always want to use the items. This has seen most individuals purchase products since they feel that their identity is secure and to test how well the item can transform their wellbeing as portrayed in the images presented.

Modern time masculinity advertising and the benefits that marketers receive in using celebrities

As noted, masculinity is a set of qualities, characteristics or roles that are generally typical to men. The characteristics and qualities have a degree of comparison as evident in Hollywood advertisements that were executed to create awareness on basic items that men require for their wellbeing⁹.

It is imperative to note that over the years, institutions have redesigned their advertisement strategies that have seen them use celebrity images while advertising products. For instance, most companies use sportsmen, musicians and international artists in their advertisements.

The images of the celebrities such as Sean John, Rudolph Valentino and Drogba are used to attract more customers since they have strong and solid fun base. They are influential personalities that are recognized in most settings and individuals tend to emulate their actions or utilize the resources that they endorse.

As noted by¹⁰ that celebrities are respected individuals with immense dignity in most settings that makes people to easily subscribe to their ideals and lifestyle.

Their status earns products that they endorse a lot of credibility that contributes in enhancing sales of their items. This is because such products receive positive perception among potential users¹¹. This explains how marketers have been able to benefit from celebrities whose influence is regarded as credible assets to diverse corporations.

Evidently, the use of celebrity images in advertisements has made products such as Samsung TVs, Nivea body lotions and perfumes sale more. In particular, Samsung company has been selling more units of TV sets since it adopted the use of masculine sports personality in its advertisement.

This gives the notion that the TV sets are strong, durable and effective compared to other sets in the market. The use of sports celebrities has also enabled most corporations to promote their products usage by individuals. It has also benefited marketers since it is a strategic tool that facilitates awareness creation of items to potential customers.

Different arguments and contradictions from different scholars

Indeed, most scholars and renowned researchers assert that masculinity is a noble strategy that promotes development and satisfaction of customer needs promptly. They affirm that the technique enables companies to segment their customers effectively and deliver to them the items that suit their needs. They also assert that gender advertising facilitates planting of product images in individual’s minds hence embrace their usage.

It builds credibility nature and relevance of a product in transforming one’s lifestyle that leads to high demand of a product. Clearly, those who subscribe to the idea that the notions of masculinity in advertising are vital indicate various reasons for their reasoning¹².

First, they state that the concept remains a viable marketing strategy that enables Companies to classify their customers effectively. This enables them to know their needs and what they consider as significant in life. They also establish how the products are able to meet the needs of consumers.

Secondly, the concept promotes sales of items since it creates awareness about the existence of products that a company manufactures for potential consumers and how the products relate to them. This has been instrumental in shaping men and women’s perceptions about certain products that are made to suit their needs.

Thirdly, gender advertising serves the social purpose of convincing both women and men to consider purchasing or utilizing certain products. This is evident in most settings for instance, alcohol beverages companies are attaching images of players when advertising beer brands to give an impression that the products are essential in shaping their lifestyle.

It is interesting to note that cars are also classified based on gender options or identity. There are some cars that are designed with masculine features that are meant for men while others are designed with feminine features. This has been a growing trend as evident where most manufacturers’ uses men’s images when advertising cars that are meant for men and women’s images in cars that are meant for female gender¹³.

This kind of advertisements enables women to purchase cars that they easily identify themselves with and portray their feminine nature and beauty. It also enables men to know and identify cars that compliment their behavior and portray their masculine features.

Despite the concept’s nobleness, its critics cite that it holds no capacity to steer growth in institutions, especially in the current competitive environment where companies should focus on producing items that serves both gender. They cite that gender advertising cannot lead to higher performance and attainment of high standard of competitiveness. They reason that the discriminatory nature of the concept may dent its sustainability since individuals in the current world tend to use products without gender considerations.

According to Brian Krans ¹⁴ the world is currently becoming a global village where most items are shared between men and women with limited gender considerations. He affirms that most products such as body lotions that enhance beauty are nowadays used by both men and women.

Therefore, instilling the notion that such products are meant for women may make a company lose out on potential male buyers. This may lead to low profitability. Generally, gender based advertising gives specific impressions that make potential product users in diverse settings to feel scared in making even enquiries about such items.

Conclusion

Indeed, the use of masculinity variations in aiding advertisement campaigns is real and is gaining momentum in different facets of operation. This is evident since most institutions are currently focusing on gender advertisement as a performance strategy that aims at enhancing sales units. It is instrumental because gender advertisement such as the use of the images of masculine men helps in defining gender variations that contribute in influencing individual’s product selection.

Bibliography

Bret, Carroll. American masculinities a historical encyclopedia. Thousand Oaks, CA [etc.]: Sage, 2003.

Brian, Baker. Masculinity in fiction and film representing men in popular genres. London: Continuum Press, 2006.

Cracker Brian. Great 2009 Castle Lager advert – Video Dailymotion.

Hess Amanda. How Men’s Magazines Sell Masculinity to Young, Low-Income Men. Web.

Hong, Cheng, and Chan Kara. Advertising and Chinese society: impacts and issues. Frederiksberg, Denmark: Copenhagen Business School Press, 2009.

Krans Brian. Hypermasculinity in Advertising: Selling Manly Men to Regular Men. Web.

Michael, Bell., Campbell, Hugh, and Finney Margaret. Country boys: masculinity and rural life. University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006.

Nudd Tim. Nivea for Men Products – List of Adverts.

Reken, Feasey. Masculinity and Popular Television. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006.

Zwick, Dettey and Schroeder Johnathan. Mirrors of Masculinity: Representation and Identity in Advertising. Consumption Markets and Culture, Vol. 7, no. 3, 2004.

Footnotes

Baker Brian, Masculinity in fiction and film representing men in popular genres (London: Continuum Press, 2006), 67.
Tim Nudd, Nivea for Men Products – List of Adverts.
Tim Nudd, Nivea for Men Products – List of Adverts.
Brian Cracker, Great 2009 Castle Lager advert – Video Dailymotion.
Brian Cracker, Great 2009 Castle Lager advert – Video Dailymotion, Last modified March 1, 2013.
Baker Brian, Masculinity in fiction and film representing men in popular genres (London: Continuum Press, 2006), 67.
Bell Michael., Hugh Campbell and Margaret Finney, Country boys: masculinity and rural life (University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006), 203-250
Amanda Hess, How Men’s Magazines Sell Masculinity to Young, Low-Income Men.
Cheng Hong and Kara Chan, Advertising and Chinese Society: Impacts and Issues (Frederiksberg, Denmark: Copenhagen Business School Press, 2009), 251.
Carroll Bret, American masculinities a historical encyclopedia, (Thousand Oaks, CA [etc.]: Sage, 2003), 1-169.
Dettey Zwick and Johnathan Schroeder, Mirrors of Masculinity: Representation and Identity in Advertising. Consumption Markets and Culture, Vol. 7, no. 3 (2004): pp. 21-52.
Dettey Zwick and Johnathan Schroeder, Mirrors of Masculinity: Representation and Identity in Advertising. Consumption Markets and Culture, Vol. 7, no. 3 (2004): pp. 21-52.
Feasey Reken, Masculinity and Popular Television (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006), 1-29.
Brian Krans Hypermasculinity in Advertising: Selling Manly Men to Regular Men.

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