Advertisements concerned with promoting outward appearances are seemingly everywhere. There is no doubt that many people feel insecure about their image. Some want any type of reassurance of how they can magically change how they look. Advertisers jump on these insecurities to promote products that will supposedly change appearance. One such add appears above.
The advertisement is promoting a bar called "Supreme Protein." The goal of the advertisement is to dupe viewers into believing that by eating Super Protein bars one can look just like the man and the women in the ad. It is extremely difficult to not notice the woman's thin waistline, and the man's enormous pectorals (which are probably larger than my head). This advertisement tries to persuade the audience that people can achieve "perfection" by eating these protein bars. However, perfection can be seen as vague.
What does perfection look like? I have been always told that no one can attain perfection. Sadly the advertisement associates perfection with a thin waistline and a sculptured body. The bodies shown in the ad are not only not achievable by most people regardless of what they eat, but also cannot be attained without working out which the advertisement conveniently fails to mention. Ads like the one above are more likely to create insecurities among the audience and lead to issues like anorexia. These types of adds are particularly dangerous to teenagers and youth who are much more susceptible to societal pressures. I would have far less objection to the add if the word "healthy" replaced the word "perfection."
One fascinating aspect of the advertisement is the surrounding that was chosen. The large breasted women and the muscular man are juxtaposed against mountainous terrain. The terrain is filled with ridges, indentations and protrusions, collectively viewed as imperfections especially when juxtaposed against the chiseled bodies of the man and the women. This raises a very interesting question. Are the obviously photoshopped bodies of the man and women "perfection" or in fact is the natural beauty of the terrain with all its ridges and protrusions "perfection." My answer to this rhetorical question should be obvious by now.
The funniest part of this advertisement is that they have a woman with a thin waist as if eating that protein bar will give you a thin waist. Another hilarious part about the advertisement is that eating a protein bar does not give you muscles, which is what the ad is trying to make it seem like. Eating protein bars is just one small part of trying to get ripped but the ad makes it seem like if you eat this protein bar, then you will get shredded.
ReplyDeleteAnother important thing to note about this ad is the camera angle that is used to portray the man and women as larger than life. This is a perfect example of Gestalt: Subliminal Persuasion.
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with each and every word you said! Society should not decide the meaning of perfection. Everyone is perfect in their own ways. Trying to trick the audience is just not cool.
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