Blog task: Score advert and wider reading

1) How did advertising techniques change in the 1960s and how does the Score advert reflect this change?

In the 1960s, advertising techniques have changed where advertising agencies relied less on market research and instead emphasized creative instinct in planning their campaigns. The Score advert exemplifies this approach by portraying a patriarchal dynamic, depicting men as superior and dominant over women.

2) What representations of women were found in post-war British advertising campaigns?

Campaigns in the 1960s very effectively reinforced the idea that a woman's primary place was within the home. Ironically, during the Second World War, propaganda posters had encouraged women to take on roles in farms and factories while men were away fighting. The prevalent portrayal of women in 1960s advertising was

3) Conduct your own semiotic analysis of the Score hair cream advert: What are the connotations of the mise-en-scene in the image? You may wish to link this to relevant contexts too.

For mise-en-scene we could see for makeup how the girls were heavily made up linking to Mulvey's male gaze where they are sexualised. The mans facial expression is seen as satisfied as he feels a sense of achievement in his position. For setting it is placed in a jungle where this theme evokes Britain's colonial past. 
4) What does the factsheet suggest in terms of a narrative analysis of the Score hair cream advert?

The factsheets suggests that the narrative is about a man celebrating as the triumphant hunter-protector of his community. It shows that the females serve as his reward for undertaking such masculine endeavours.

5) How might an audience have responded to the advert in 1967? What about in the 2020s?

In 1967, the advertisement would likely have been widely accepted, considering that women were still fighting for equality during the second wave of feminism. The Equal Pay Act had not yet been passed, and society was firmly entrenched in a patriarchal structure where men dominated nearly every aspect of life. Nowadays, audiences would likely be appalled by both the representation and lack of representation of women and men in the advertisement.

6) How does the Score hair cream advert use persuasive techniques (e.g. anchorage text, slogan, product information) to sell the product to an audience?

The advert uses persuasive techniques through the anchorage where it seems to target men by promising them an easier grooming experience and the opportunity to embody the idealized image of masculinity. The product name implies winning or achieving success, suggesting that using this product will help men gain attention or approval, particularly from females.

7) How might you apply feminist theory to the Score hair cream advert - such as van Zoonen, bell hooks or Judith Butler?

Judith Butlers Gender troubles theory could apply to how social norms are socially constructed where both males and females have to adhere to them as seen in the advert where they reinforce these stereotypes. Van Zoonens theory of feminism is shown with how the girls are following culture when playing the role of a women where they are seen as weak and objectified by the male. 

8) How could David Gauntlett's theory regarding gender identity be applied to the Score hair cream advert?

We can see by the advert that identity is becoming more fluid where the women are expressed as strong through their utility belts and biceps to show how they are trying to break the norm. 

9) What representation of sexuality can be found in the advert and why might this link to the 1967 decriminalisation of homosexuality (historical and cultural context)?

The advert was produced in the year of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in order to promote masculinity in males and being heterosexual in society. Homosexuality was looked down upon as a taboo topic where tradition made it seem wrong and sinful.

10) How does the advert reflect Britain's colonial past - another important historical and cultural context?

They paid much more attention to building a distinctive character for the brand. The brand message is clear: to present the product as grooming product for a ‘real’ man. The choice of the ‘Score’ brand name is deliberate and carries very obvious connotations.

The Drum: This Boy Can article

Read this article from The Drum magazine on gender and the new masculinity. If the Drum website is blocked, you can find the text of the article here. Think about how the issues raised in this article link to our Score hair cream advert CSP and then answer the following questions:

1) Why does the writer suggest that we may face a "growing 'boy crisis'"?

2) How has the Axe/Lynx brand changed its marketing to present a different representation of masculinity?

3) How does campaigner David Brockway, quoted in the article, suggest advertisers "totally reinvent gender constructs"?

4) How have changes in family and society altered how brands are targeting their products?

5) Why does Fernando Desouches, Axe/Lynx global brand development director, say you've got to "set the platform" before you explode the myth of masculinity?