Saturday, 09 May 2009

• Are Products Geared Toward Men Going Over The Top With Sexuality?

  
  
  

  
  In an episode of AMC's "Mad Men", protagonist and ad exec Don Draper champions the need for subtlety when it comes to sexuality in advertisements. About an intended print ad for an airline, he muses, "It’s about adventure, taking you places where you’ve never been. You want to get on a plane to feel alive, you want to get on a plane to see just the hint of a woman’s thigh because her skirt is just...this much too short."
  
  Nowadays, most products geared toward men hit you over the head with sexuality; i.e. use this body wash and you'll get laid. A recent spot for Degree Men, meanwhile, is more in line with the Draperian mindset. Granted, the main thrust of the commercial is exhilaration and how ridiculously good the product will make you feel; the analogy is that Degree deodorant is like riding a shopping cart on a precarious incline between two trucks. The most striking element of the commercial for me, however, is toward the end. Here's a still from the TV ad:
  
  

  
  

  
  What got my attention is the cute blonde. You don't see her face. You don't hear her voice. For all intensive purposes, she has no identity. She is the Mystery Woman, and such is the essence of her appeal. You know nothing about her, and she you. This ad places you at the moment where you are about to casually meet in the supermarket. Thus, the mood is one of anticipation. You are at the threshold of getting her attention. You say something, she turns around, your eyes meet. She is beautiful.
  
  And of course, since you're using the deodorant, you're probably going to get laid. But, for you the viewer, it's all about that nervous excitement, the spirit of the chase.
  
  Do deodorant commercials affect your buying habits? If you've seen the commercial, did you notice the woman?
  
  

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