Prompt: Your second course project is an observation journal. You have already gathered your advertisements and completed your comparison template to determine the social science approaches that are relevant to your ads. For this assignment you will use that information to write an observation journal that will ask you to draw conclusions from the ads and, eventually, devise a social science question that you might like to investigate.
The critical elements of this assessment will be evaluated in your observation journal. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed and will be graded using the rubric at the end of this document:
I. Explain why you chose these advertisements for social scientific and personal study. For instance, what aspects of them intrigued you and made you curious?
II. Explain the assumptions and observations about human interactions and behaviors you made about the advertisements. These are some questions you might want to consider in your explanation:
a. Who do you believe the audiences for the ads might be?
b. What messages do you think the ads are sending?
c. What do you think the nature of the relationship is between or among the people in theads?
d. What relationship(s) do you see between or among the people and the product or service being advertised?
e. How effective are the ads in influencing your own consumer decisions?
III. Identify topics in this course that are relevant to the human behaviors in your advertisements and explain how they are relevant. This is your social science evidence for your observations. For instance, what ideas and people have you studied so far that apply to your observations?
IV. Taking all of your observations and objective conclusions about human behavior in your advertisements into account, assume the role of a social scientist. What question would you ask about the advertisements that you, as a social scientist, could seek to answer? What observations and objective conclusions lead you to this question?
PLEASE REFER TO THE 3 ATTACHMENTS
1ST ATTACHMENT: Advertisement of ads that were chosen to do this project.
2Nd ATTACHMENT: Answers to the questions that are being asked. (about chosen ads)
3Rd ATTACHMENT: Example how the assignment should look.
SCS 100 Theme 1: Advertisement Examples
You will need to identify four advertisements to support your work on the Comparison Template, which is due at the end
of Theme 1, and the Observation Journal, which is due at the end of Theme 2. The list below provides a number of
examples of advertisements you can use to support these assignments. The ads are grouped by the type of product or
service they are promoting, as it can be helpful to compare different themes or trends used across similar products. Feel
free to use any of the ads from the list below, to select ads across product or service type, or to select your own using
the selection criteria at the end of this document. Note that video ads featured through the Ads of the World website
may require viewing in Chrome or Firefox.
Product/Service: Health And Beauty
Advertisement Ad Type
Diaderm Anti-Wrinkle Cream
Infusium 23 Hair Products
Revlon: Charlie Print
Corega Denture Bond Print
Garnier: Hide Yesterday Print
Colgate: Sinkchild (0:31)
Video
Loreal: The Waterproof Experience (1:44) Video
Product/Service: House And Home
Advertisement Ad Type
Whirlpool: Finding Time Transcript (0:31) Video
Initial: How Clean are Your Bathrooms Print
Tide Plus A Touch of Downy: The Princess Dress (0:30) Video
IKEA: One Room Paradise (2:30) Video
Schlage Locks: Ex-Girlfriend (0:30) Video
Coldwell Banker Real Estate: Home’s Best Friend
(1:00)
Video
Tramontina: Meat Signature Iron (1:52) Video
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/diadermine_wrinkle_expert_the_couple
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/infusium_23_miracle
http://www.advertisingarchives.co.uk/en/asset/show_zoom_window_popup.html?asset=20176&%3Bamp%3Blocation=grid&%3Bamp%3Basset_list=16423%2C3700%2C46792%2C44871%2C41885%2C40005%2C30225%2C29167%2C28937%2C27821%2C25343%2C22894%2C22077%2C21108%2C20668%2C20176%2C11984%2C8297%2C6989%2C1306&%3Bamp%3Bbasket_item_id=undefined
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/corega_couple
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/garnier_hide_yesterday_meet_the_parents
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/loreal_the_waterproof_experience
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/initial_how_clean_are_your_bathrooms_1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g06odPKwGrg%20
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/online/tramontina_meat_signature_iron
Product/Service: Alcohol and Tobacco
Advertisement Ad Type
Carlsberg Beer: If Carlsberg Did Fitting Rooms (0:30) Video
Borsodi Beer: Counter Print
V2O Pure Grain Vodka: Phone Print
Polevskaya Varnya: Hangover is Over (0:57) Video
OCB: Stick it Up Print
1960s Camel: Where a Man Belongs Print
Product/Service: Food & Beverage
Advertisement Ad Type
Farmer Cereal Bars: Instant Energy, 2 Print
Airwaves Gum: Bus Print
Carl’s Jr.: Au Natural (0:52) Video
Milio’s Sandwiches: Astronaut Print
Pizza Planet: California Meat Print
Coca-Cola: Battlefield (1:02) Video
Spoleto Restaurant: Beautiful Women Don’t Pay
(1:48)
Video
Product/Service: Cars and Transportation
Advertisement Ad Type
Land Rover: Maasai Tribe Print
Volkswagen TDI Clean Diesel: Mom (0:45) Video
Chariot India Print
Official Ram Trucks Super Bowl Commercial: “Farmer”
(2:02)
Video
Volkswagen: The Uber test ride (1:53) Video
Lekker Bicycles: Model, 2
(There are three different models, you can view the
other two below the advertisement on this page)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZd_O-7s_sQ
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/borsodi_counter
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/v2o_pure_grain_vodka_phone
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/online/polevskaya_varnya_hangover_is_over
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/ocb_stick_it_up
http://www.advertisingarchives.co.uk/en/asset/show_zoom_window_popup.html?asset=87523092&%3Bamp%3Blocation=grid&%3Bamp%3Basset_list=87523411%2C87523103%2C87523092%2C87523090%2C87522710%2C87522676%2C87522526%2C87522359%2C87522314%2C87522171%2C87522138%2C87521610%2C87521561%2C87521057%2C87521056%2C87521048%2C87521047%2C87521046%2C87521045%2C87521044%2C87521043%2C87521042%2C87520940%2C87520846%2C87520656%2C87520413%2C87520340%2C87520328%2C87520324%2C87520193%2C87520190%2C87520180%2C87520176%2C87520151%2C87520144%2C87520086%2C87520085%2C87519893%2C87519449%2C87519409%2C87519392%2C87519194%2C87519030%2C87518713%2C8751
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/farmer_cereal_bars_instant_energy_2
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/airwaves_gum_bus
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/milios_sandwiches_astronaut
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/pizza_planet_california_meat
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/tv/cocacola_battlefield
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/spoleto_restaurant_beautiful_women_dont_pay
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/land_rover_maasai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3z6sclsFdc&%3Bamp%3Bfeature=youtu.be
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/chariot_india_football_riot
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/lekker_bicycles_model_2
Product/Service: Social Services and Causes
Advertisement Ad Type
Woman’s Room: Stand Strong (an ad from the
Croatian Rugby Association)
IP Casinos: Mammograms and Margaritas: Breast
Cancer Support
Chilean Red Cross: Earthquake (1:04) Video
Hospital Austral Print
Texas Department of State Health Services: Shhhh
(0:31)
Video
Bureau of Civil Affairs: T-Shirt Design for Orphans Print
Qatar Cancer Society: Generosity Is Its Own Reward
(2:00)
Video
Ad Selection Criteria
If you would like to select your own ads, use the criteria below. The ads you select should:
Be interesting to you
Feature people, not simply products
Display interactions between people or convey ways that the product or service advertised will impact or influence
people
Encourage you to ask questions about the ads, the people in them, or the approach used in the ad
Enable you to ask questions about:
o The individuals in the ads
o The groups portrayed in the ads
o Culture or cultural representations included (or not included) in the ads
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/womans_room_stand_strong
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/womans_room_stand_strong
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/ip_casino_mammograms_margaritas
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/ip_casino_mammograms_margaritas
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/radio/chilean_red_cross_earthquake
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/hospital_austral_family_plan_tabasco
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/tv/texas_department_of_state_health_services_shhhh
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/bureau_of_civil_affairs_tshirt_design_for_orphans
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/tv/qatar_cancer_society_generosity_is_its_own_reward
Brittaney Allen
Southern New Hampshire University
1/21/2018
SCS 100 Theme 1: Comparison Template
Ad 1: Infusium 23 Hair Products |
Ad 2: Woman’s Room: Stand Strong |
Ad 3: Pizza Planet: California Meat |
Ad 4: V2O Pure Grain Vodka: Phone |
|
1. Question(s) related to how individuals are represented in the ads |
Why is the model a white female? Why are men included in the ad? What is the reason behind the choice other attire? |
Whom does the rugby player signify? |
What is the significance of all the ornaments that have been put on by the man? |
What does the lady and the gentle man imply we they look at one another? |
2. Questions related to how groups and group behavior are represented in the ad |
Why is it that all of them stare at her hair and not her attire? |
What is the significance of the rugby player diving onto the other man? |
Why does the man have his body marked? |
Why is the implication of the place they are sitting at? |
3. Questions related to how culture and cultural identity are represented (or not represented) in the ad |
Why is it that whereas in offices decent dressing code is required, the candidate puts on “indecently” while entering the office? |
What is the relationship between the rugby player and protecting women against violence? |
How does the man represent the pizza lovers? |
What does “losing more than the phone” signify in the current culture? |
4. How do the ads compare to each other? |
All of the ads illustrate wellness and healthy. Three of the ads feature women products and women desires while one features diversity in the culture (pizza). One of the ads implies human rights and the role of all human beings to safeguard human rights. |
|||
5. What overall observations might a social scientist be interested in studying in relation to the themes present in these advertisements? What larger questions about human interactions might they ask? |
Social scientists would want to observe the impact of the ads to the men and women. They would also want to understand the relationship between featuring a woman only or a man only or both in an ad. They would also want to understand leads to women behaving they way they have been featured and what are the circumstances. Questions would be: How does the look and feel of the hair, fear and desire influence the women? How do the ads change the behavior of me towards the female gender? How does the public view the scenes depicted in the ads? |
SCS 100 Theme 2: Project 2 Exemplar
Article Choice
I chose the advertisements that I did because I was interested in how they related gender to
food. Each advertisement is marketing a certain food: gelato, candy bars, or ice cream. Each
advertisement depicts either females alone or females in specific gender roles. I was also
intrigued by the advertisements because I am female and I enjoy eating chocolate. When I have
had a hard day I enjoy coming home and indulging in dessert to comfort myself. Some of the
advertisements portray women as having a desire for sweets, which made me question my own
tendency to desire sweet foods after a hard day at work.
Assumptions and Observations
Audience. Each advertisement has a specific audience to which it appeals. Each
advertisement depicts mostly white actors and actresses. The intended audience of these
advertisements are people who use food as reward. The audience for these advertisements
would most likely be people from a westernized civilization who have excess food to use for
pleasure or reward. For example, people who live in countries where there is not easy access to
plentiful amounts of food would not have the same relationship to food as the people depicted in
these advertisements. There are other aspects of the advertisements that make me think the
intended audience is white and westernized. For example, the marriage in the Milky Way
advertisement appears to be a traditional Christian wedding, based on the presence of a priest
and the decoration of the church. The Freddo Ice Cream advertisement depicts children, all of
them white, and represents a democracy in which people are elected to government positions.
The Celebration advertisement is also showing individuals—all of whom are also white—who
again are using food as a way of celebrating. Finally, the Antonio Federici advertisement is
depicting a white nun being sinful by eating chocolate, which again seems to be portraying a
relationship between indulgence and food. I believe the relationship of food as indulgence is a
more westernized and privileged notion. Based on my observations, I believe the intended
audience for most of these advertisements are middle-class, white women.
Message. The message the advertisements are sending all seem to be about the
relationship between people and food. For the Federici advertisement, the message is that
women use rich, sweet food for indulgence and as a “guilty pleasure.” The advertisement even
seems to relate the indulgence of this sweet food with sin by showing a nun who is pregnant.
The Freddo Ice Cream advertisement is also showing a relationship between food and people.
In this advertisement, I observed that the girls are the ones serving food, while the boy is the
one running for office. This advertisement seems to portray a stereotype of women serving
men. It also is showing a relationship between women being the ones to handle the serving and
maybe even the preparation of food. The Celebration advertisement’s message again appears to
show a relationship between women celebrating with food. The ad even shows the girls
celebrating other’s misfortune, thereby seeming to portray females as selfish. The Milky Way
advertisement also depicts a woman as being selfish by indulging in chocolate, which makes
her late for her own wedding. A common message is showing gender stereotypes as they relate
to women and food.
Relationship between people. I believe that in most of these advertisements, the most
important relationship depicted between people is the relationship between sinful females and
others. For example, in the Antonio Federici advertisement, one thinks of an innocent nun who
has sinned. Females are supposed to be innocent and this advertisement taps into the hidden
desires of females. I believe these advertisements also show women as weak compared to their
desires; for example, the women in the Celebration advertisement care only about winning and
do not care about their injured competitor. Although the Freddo Ice Cream advertisement
depicts a different type of gender stereotype, it is still important. The Freddo advertisement
shows females serving males and acting in less important or secondary roles. The relationship
between genders is the most important relationship I observe in these advertisements.
Relationship with product. In each of the advertisements, the relationship that I chose
to focus on is the relationship between women and food. The Freddo Ice Cream advertisement
shows females in the traditional secondary role of serving and preparing food, while the male is
in the primary role of running for office. The other three advertisements all portray women as
being selfish and indulgent when they engage in eating sweet food. The relationship is that a
woman cannot help herself and indulges in the guilty pleasure of a sweet food.
Effectiveness. For me, the least effective advertisement is the Celebration
advertisement, because it depicts females acting in an obviously selfish way by showing them
celebrating when their competitor is injured. The Milky Way advertisement also shows a
woman acting selfishly, but the ad does it in a less obvious way; the consequence of her selfish
behavior is not celebrating another person getting hurt, but that people have to wait for her
wedding. Therefore, the Milky Way advertisement is more effective than the Celebration
advertisement. I also believe the obviousness of the message impacts the effectiveness of the
Antonio Federici advertisement, because if the nun were not pregnant, the message of indulging
and being sinful would be less obvious, and would therefore be more effective for me. Finally,
the Freddo Ice Cream advertisement very obviously depicts stereotypical gender roles; for me,
it is hard to look past that and focus on the product. Overall, the advertisements that make a less
obvious attempt at getting their message across seem to be the most effective.
Social Science Evidence
To back up my observations about the relationship between women and food, which in these
advertisements I observed to represent gender stereotypes of women in servile roles and as
being weak and unable to resist their desires, I looked for evidence within the course so far.
My interest in the portrayal of the women in these advertisements seems to fit both within the
psychological and sociological fields. In Theme 1, we learned that gender stereotypes can be
examined through the idea of the “social construction” of these topics, meaning that society
creates and reinforces the category of gender. In Theme 1, we learned that psychology is the
study of the mind and behavior (American Psychological Association, n.d.) and even though
gender roles may be socially constructed, the behavior of engaging in those gender roles is
very interesting to me.
We learned about perception in Theme 2. Perception plays a big role in these advertisements
because it helps to explain why we perceive what we do from these advertisements. The halo
effect is described as “a bias in which our overall impression of a person (a figurative halo)
colors our judgments of that person’s character” (Baumann Foundation, 2013). The halo effect
comes into play in multiple advertisements. For example, in the Antonio Federici
advertisement, we see a nun who has sinned and we start to make assumptions about all the
other choices in her life. We also do this with the Celebration and Milky Way advertisements.
The depiction of females choosing to indulge within the advertisements leaves the audience
making assumptions about the females’ overall weaknesses and tendency to give into their
desires. Confirmation bias can also be used to describe why we perceive what we do from these
advertisements. Confirmation bias is described as seeking and/or interpreting evidence in a way
that is congruent with one’s existing beliefs or expectations (Nickerson, 1998). Gender
stereotypes already exist; therefore, we are more likely to interpret the advertisements in line
with the gender stereotypes with which we are familiar. According to confirmation bias, we see
the Freddo Ice Cream advertisement as confirming societal gender stereotypes that women are
secondary to men. Even though these cognitive biases happen automatically, we learned in
Theme 2 that they influence our opinions and emotions about situations.
Question
The Theme 1 overview describes one of the big questions in psychology as “What motivates
individuals to act in certain ways?” I used this question, along with the evidence about cognitive
biases, to help inform my own question about gender stereotypes. I am also using my own
experiences because in my household I do more of the cleaning, while my husband does the
lawn work. These behaviors fit into stereotypical gender roles of women doing more of the
cleaning and cooking and men doing more of the yard work. Although my experience is
different than the gender stereotypes portrayed in the advertisements, these behaviors still fit
into the theme of gender stereotypes. I created a question a social scientist might ask using both
the information from the course and my own experiences. Based on this information, my social
science question is: How do cognitive biases influence our behaviors to adhere to gender
stereotypes?
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Definition of psychology. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/about/
The Baumann Foundation. (2013). The halo effect: Why angels and devils walk the earth. Retrieved from
http://www.beinghuman.org/article/halo-effect
Nickerson, R. S. (1998). Confirmation bias: A ubiquitous phenomenon in many guises. Review of General
Psychology, 2(2), 175–220.