2.4.3

Quality Street - Representation

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Representation and Target Audience

Representation in the advert conforms to stereotypical gender roles. The advert is purposefully targeting an audience aged 25-40 which is reflected in the character choice of this advert.

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Male gaze theory

  • The centring of the man combined with the choice he is offered between the women suggests a male dominated society.
  • Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory can be applied to the advert as women seem to be sexualised and shown as objects as they are both focused on the man.
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Mode of address

  • The women’s body language is also subservient as they are placed around the man and infers that the women need to attract a man to be happy and successful in society.
  • The man anchor’s the audience eye to the product through a non-direct mode of address which can have phallic symbolism.
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Dominant ideology

  • The clothing of the women, which is mainly red, can have connotations of passion, romance and desire.
  • The women are represented in a stereotypical light through suggesting all women love chocolate and all women need a man.
  • This advert can reinforce dominant ideology and suggest that women should cater for the needs of men.
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Miss Sweetly

  • Miss Sweetly is represented differently to the two main women.
  • She is wearing a pastel purple which has strong connotations of femininity and elegance in comparison to the red costumes.
  • She also has much more flesh on shown, perhaps to reinforce her role as an object to be gazed at during the time period.
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Target audience

  • The advert is purposefully targeting an audience aged 25-40 which is reflected in the character choice of this advert.
  • In this light, the characters can act as audience surrogates, meaning the audience can see themselves in the main characters.
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Aspirations

  • The choice in characters can be seen as aspirational. The man appears to be of a higher class to the women as he is in a formal business suit, suggesting the women are lower class and have climbed the social ladder.
  • The aspiration attached to higher class life could be purposely intended as the Quality Street product was aimed towards working class families the 1950’s was characterised by its period of change and progression within society available.

Jump to other topics

1Overview

2Component 1: Section A

3Component 1: Section B

4Component 2: Section A

5Component 2: Section B

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