Page 118 - Cultural Studies A Practical Introduction

102 Consumer Culture and Fashion Studies

Student Exercise

One of the most interesting controversies regarding advertisement
and its social implications in recent years concerned the campaign
by Dove to make girls more aware of how the beauty industry
imposes an image of beauty on them that is at odds with how most
girls look. Analyze the debate and write a position paper on it. Pay
particular attention to how the various ads work as ads. How do they
work to persuade? How do they use images, narrative, character, and
so on? Finally, are the Axe body spray commercials continuous with
a sexist tradition or do they invert and transform it?
Here are some important links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei6JvK0W60I&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9tWZB7OUSU&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ySo29c-Gg&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VDsLcl72Ss&feature=PlayList
&p=209F992D0596E67F&playnext=1&index=19
http://jezebel.com/306063/the-inconvenient-truth-behind-dove-
the-love+your+body-beauty-company

Or you might pursue the following question:
In late 2008, Vaseline began a new advertising campaign which
combined aspects of word - of - mouth and viral advertising. The
Prescribe the Nation campaign was designed to promote a new
product, Vaseline Clinical Therapy Lotion, described as a “ prescrip-
tion - strength lotion without the prescription. ” The campaign started
in Kodiak, Alaska; one woman, Petal Ruch, was given a supply of
Vaseline Clinical Therapy and asked to “ prescribe ” it to her friends.
Vaseline was hoping to take advantage of the strong social networks
which existed in Kodiak, as well obtain testimonials about the effec-
tiveness of the lotion in even the extreme climate of Alaska. Within
two weeks, almost 1,000 people in the community had been “ pre-
scribed ” the lotion. Vaseline launched http://www.prescribethena-
tion.com , where consumers could see the stories of Kodiak residents,