Kristine Asato
8 October, 2010
FD #2
A Misleading Concept
The average American spends most of their time watching TV. Half of the TV they are watching consists of commercials and adds. There are also dozens of magazines in circulations with many different types of advertisements. [THESIS] Distributors advertise products that do no support a productive lifestyle because of their misleading advertisements. [THESIS] These advertisements and commercials also target different types of people. Knowing exactly whom they are targeting incredibly benefits the marketers.
When we go to the stores, we see the shelves of magazines plastered with the touched up faces of women and men. Skimming through them we notice a plethora of advertisements for an assortment of perfumes and accessories. Marketers use photographs of beauty to capture the image an entire commercial can do in sixty seconds. The main audience for a magazine is women. Therefore displaying a canvas of beauty along side a product is appealing and eye catching. To some women, this perfection is attainable, but the advertisement is misleading. Many women don’t factor in the hours of mixing and matching of lipstick colors to find the right shade. Or the countless times it took to get each hair to stay in the exact desired place. Products like Revlon that portray faces like Halle Berry and Jessica Biel, mislead their audience as well. Revlon wants people to believe that if their product is used, people will be able to achieve the same prestige as these women. During a discussion, Patricia Miller-Ho goes to say, “What a person sees in an ad is what they perceive to be reality” which I find to be very true. A false image of reality can dumb down a person, and in turn harm the lifestyle they are trying to live.
There are many different types of weight loss programs out there. One of the more popular ones, backed by singer Jennifer Hudson is Weight Watchers. Their website is filled with helpful tools, success stories, and recipes for a healthier diet. But after careful examination of their commercial and website, there are some fine print that can’t be ignored. During the commercial, Hudson claims that she feels “powered”, and is learning healthier habits. Hudson goes on to say that “You can join for free.” As soon as this is said the fine print shows up for a few seconds and then the end of the commercial. The fine print that some people may not have caught said this “Must pay fees for meetings and online tools.” Hudson’s statement and fine print are both true but very misleading. People think they are joining for free, which they are, but now they must pay to participate in the free membership. It is misleading, but also not a lie.
Although sometimes avoided, advertisements in the newspapers are just as distracting. Many of us don’t see the newspaper as our main source of news anymore, but the fact is that its still there. If you skim through, there are advertisements for sales, and local businesses scattered throughout the pages. These can be a great distraction to the reader and also may take away from the news. There may be a story on a rap victim, and directly below it will be advertisements for a local strip club’s happy hour. The news is our lifestyle, a simple portrayal of what we are doing in the world. To have an advertisement about the hottest deals, coincide with the presidential debate, almost undermines the news itself. Jean Kilbourne writes “Newspapers are more in the business of selling audiences than in the business of giving people news.” Marketers see the newspaper as another opportunity to take advantage of readers. Demeaning what we are doing in the world, and the lifestyles we are trying to live.
For some marketers, selling their products is not the problem. Appealing to the right cliques of people is more of their aim. Companies like Louis Vuiton, and Dolce and Gabana, have a price tag on their products so big they can afford to be selective on their clientele. Having a product of such prestige is a symbol of a rich lifestyle. Anything else would seem demeaning. These advertisements make it possible for everyone to be put in a clique. Much like an over populated high school. Joseph Turow analyzed in his story “Targeting a New World” describes this phenomenon as “A desire to label people so that they may be separated into primary media communities.” Turow goes on to explain that by this separation it is easier to target consumers. Marketers are now able to focus their commercial production on catering to a specific lifestyle. From this, a purchase is more of an enhancement of a lifestyle, and if you can’t afford it, you can’t be part of it. Classmate Gregory Jenkins states, “I am spending money to buy brands.” Because of commercials and advertisements you are no longer just buying a product, you are buying a brand. It is this brand that tells everyone your clique. This mind set leaves us judgmental, prude, and heavily aware of the separation among us. In high school we labeled each other by the clubs they were in, and the people they were with. Now in the real world, we base their lifestyles on the brands they adorn themselves with. Last time I checked racism was illegal.
An over exaggeration of things can delude consumers to believe the product in question is better than it is. Over exaggeration can also lead to unnecessary purchases. Companies spend a handful of money to produce an over exaggerated idea of a finished product. One powerful example is a movie trailer. Most of the great special effects, or funny parts, are shown in the trailer. The order of the movie clips lull viewers into an anticipated excitement. When the preview for “The Village” by M. Night Shyamalan aired, it was highly anticipated. When the movie finally comes out in theatres, it was a big disappointment. The cost of the ticket, snacks, and drinks, from each person in the theatre, more than covers the cost for the misleading trailer. Such over exaggerations are not just seen in movie trailers, but other commercials and advertisements as well. Beauty products, food items, electronics, and many more display an over exaggeration of each respected product.
Commercials and advertisement make shopping more of a competitive sport than a basic necessity. We are comparing the latest makeup craze, trying to decide which will make me look better. We give in to the costly weight loss program because we feel inadequate. The quality of our news is lessened by selective advertisements. Being apart of a clique by the brands we ornate ourselves with, making us feel superior or inferior to others. These commercials and advertisements have made our lifestyles a horrible materialistic one. We put such high hopes in each product hoping that they will vanquish our insecurities. These products that marketers produce are unhealthy to our lifestyle. They are cleverly hidden so no one can see that they are being misled to buy a product that may or may not help you.
Work Cited:
Jenkins, Gregory. Class Discussion. October 8, 2010.
Kilbourne, Jean. “Buy This 24-Year-Old and get all His Friends Absolutely Free.” Dialogues. Goshgarian, Gary. Krueger, Kathleen. Sixth Edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. 335-343.
Miller-Ho, Patricia. October 8, 2010.
Turow, Joseph. “Targeting a New World.” Dialogues. Goshgarian, Gary. Krueger, Kathleen. Sixth Edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. 331-334.Weightwatchers.com.
Weight Watchers International Inc. 2010. October 8, 2010. < http://www.weightwatchers.com/>
Log of Completed Activities
X Sep 17F- Intro to Paper #2. Read the Guidelines for Paper #2. (Confirmation reply required.)
X Sep 20M- Complete readings for paper #2. (Confirmation reply required.)
L Sep 24F- Laulima Discussion: Ad Pros and Cons
X Sep 28t- Laulima Discussion: Logical Fallacies Exercise
L Oct 4M – RD2 due [50 pts]. Review the guidelines. (Confirmation reply required.)
X Oct 8F- RD2 evaluations due [50 pts]. Review the guidelines. (Confirmation reply required.)
X Oct 12t- FD2 due [125 pts]. Review the guidelines. (Confirmation reply required.
Log of Completed Activities
X Sep 17F- Intro to Paper #2. Read the Guidelines for Paper #2. (Confirmation reply required.)
X Sep 20M- Complete readings for paper #2. (Confirmation reply required.)
L Sep 24F- Laulima Discussion: Ad Pros and Cons
X Sep 28t- Laulima Discussion: Logical Fallacies Exercise
L Oct 4M – RD2 due [50 pts]. Review the guidelines. (Confirmation reply required.)
X Oct 8F- RD2 evaluations due [50 pts]. Review the guidelines. (Confirmation reply required.)
X Oct 12t- FD2 due [125 pts]. Review the guidelines. (Confirmation reply required.
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