Volume 18, No. 6, 2021
Gender-Based Objectification In Commercial Advertisements: A Socio-Cultural Analysis
Saood Khan , Imdad Ullah Khan , Maryam Sarwar , Sana Gul
Abstract
Commercial advertisements play a key role in shaping public perceptions regarding culture, dress, identity, and latest fashion. Gendered advertisements are an important large section of the industry. Based on age, appearance, physical attributes, and perceived attraction female and male genders are represented differently. Gender-based objectification is often the basis of a dichotomous projection of gender roles in advertisements. The current study uses a multimodal discourse analysis framework to understand how advertisements of an apparel brand in Pakistan shape and project essentialized female and male attributes through their visual and linguistic representation in advertisements. Whereas females are shown as more docile, and timid, often lurking in a corner or reclining against a wall, male models are presented as casual, outgoing, bold, and assertive. Subversion of these traditional stereotypical female and male roles are also explored in the Khaadi brand apparel. The article discusses the role of projecting gender-based objectification and essentialization and its relationship to the social behavior and buying habits of the customers. Mor broadly, it also explores how linguistic and pictorial persuasion is used differently for female and male target customers.
Pages: 6492-6506
Keywords: Advertising is a particularly strong type of social communication in modern times.