Advertising and Women

The role of the women in our society has changed The traditional role cannot be accepted now. Women are playing a diversified role in the socio-economic context in our society. Women are emerging as a powerful influence group. The portrayal of women in advertising is an issue that has received a great deal of attention through the years.

Advertising has been criticized for stereotyping women and failing to recognize the changing role of women in our society. Critics have argued that advertising of ten depicts women as decorative objects or sexually provocative figures. Gender stereotyping has varied little over time.  

Women have been shown as lacking intelligence and credibility. They are shown as dependent on men and do make decision on their own.

But now … the role of woman in television advertising has changed over the decades. Although, woman in India, are portrayed as traditional and stereo typical over the decades, there is a difference in product categories advertised by them. Advertisers in the decade 2000 are willing to portray woman in male dominated advertisements as compared to advertisers of 1990s

Indian women in Advertising Jassi' to 'Jessica': The changing face of women in Indian advertising Man worries over & #BANNER1 & # losing his job. Enter wife, with 'X' detergent in her hand. She washes his shirt, and voila! he gets a promotion at work. Next, a mother-in-law visits her 'bahu' for the first time, dreading the food she will be served. But the daughter-in-law uses mother-in-law's favourite 'Y' brand of spices, and the rest is history.

These are just two of the many examples in Indian advertising where women are portrayed as eager-to-please, submissive people, whose universe is wholly and solely their families.

In 1970 a magazine revealed that magazine advertisements presented the following clichés about women’s role: 1. A women place is in the home 2. Women do not make important decisions 3. Women are dependent and need men’s protection 4. Men regard women primarily as sexual objects

Women in 1970s Often as dependents requiring men to solve their problem with no individuality of their own.

Women in 1980s This was new beginning in advertising add like Lalita ji (surf ad) bring women as independent individual. Women in 1980s consider as As independent individuals for example Lalita ji ( who can forget surf Ad)

Women Of 1990s Women in the 1990s were shown in following ways In place of washing clothes with their hands and brush they were shown soaking clothes. Women stepping out of the house and beyond. They were seen more bold ( This could be because of the controversy arose when super model Milind Soman posed nude with madhu Sapre, This was turning point in the history of Indian advertising.

Even today Advertising’s portrayal of gender roles was a representation of the long-existing unequal relationship of dominance and subservience between the two sexes. The axe ad shows that a body spray can make the sexual availability of women easy

While sexism and stereotyping still exist, advertising’s portrayal of women is improving in many areas.   Many advertisers have begun to recognize the importance of portraying women realistically. The increase in the number of working women has resulted not only in women having more influence in family decision making but also in more single-female households, which mean more independent purchasers

Women have now crossed the boundary from the domestic sphere to the professional arena, expectations and representations of women have changed as well. Many ads are now depicting women in a diversity of roles that reflect their changing place in society. In many ads, the stereotyping traits attributed to women have shifted from weak and dependent to strong and autonomous.  

The advent of woman reporters and the presence of some senior women journalists in positions of responsibility have made a significant difference to the coverage of women’s issues in the press .

.While sports and athletics sported more men than women in the past. However, real achievers like Sania Mirza have changed all that. You see a cricketer like Mahendra Dhoni almost as often as you see Mirza..

Women of Today Women now plays different role in advertising like Decorative role Recreational Role Independent Career role. Self Involved role Carefree role Family Role

Some women centric ads …

Airtel ad

Ghar jao aur ads deko… Aur muje agle lecture mei batao