Thus far the study has established that stereotypes related to females and femininity tend to include characteristics/roles of submissiveness and domesticity, evoking images of the wife, the lover and the damsel in distress (woman in need of male protection). The study now examines the following advertisements of a De Beers, Diamonds are Forever, campaign released between 2000 and 2005 in light of these categories to see how the ads show further evidence of said categories. It is to be noted that all of the advertisements of this specific campaign are visually, mostly comprised of text, the language use standing out as the text is white on a black background with pieces of jewellery featuring as small add-ons or ‘cherries on top’ within the frame.
The first advertisement reads as follows: ‘If you’re a frog, turn yourself into a prince’ (see Figure 36). It is important to note that the words frog and into a prince are enlarged compared to the rest of the text, which highlights the instructions subtly given to the viewer. The advertisement also makes uses the lingual technique of metaphor to compare the looks/appearance/physical
92 attractiveness of the male viewer to that of a frog or a prince. The language of the advertisement suggests a male viewer as it appeals to the need for a man to turn himself from a frog (unattractive and unappealing) into a prince (desirable). Though the language is used for a male audience, it relays underlying messaging/ideas of femininity. First and foremost, it suggests that any man can ‘upgrade’ his looks and desirability in order to gain female attention by buying and giving a woman jewellery. The use of language in reference to fairy tales conjures up the image of a man buying jewellery in order to gain the adoration of a princess or damsel in distress, which in turns suggests that females are in wait of ‘princes’ (men) to better their world (albeit it with shiny things) and that the gift of a mere object might ‘buy’ a female body. It also suggests that women are easily duped, ready to receive objects that will decorate her body like an object the male possesses. The use of language in this advertisement thus relays stereotypical ideologies of femininity as submissive and in need of a ‘male saviour’ in order to be able to live happily ever after.
Another stereotyped idea of femininity and female gender role is that of the wife, which links femininity to domesticity, nurturing and the household (often the kitchen specifically). This form of female representation can be seen in the language used in Figure 37 which reads as follows: ‘Honey, would you and your friends like more beer and sandwiches while you watch the game?’ Here the advertisement, though using a female voice, again addresses the male viewer in the way it suggests that buying a woman jewellery would produce the suggested actions within a woman’s performance of her femininity. In this case that femininity is linked to the idea of the woman as the keeper of the house, forever the gracious hostess, as well as the keeper of the kitchen, maker of sandwiches and fetcher of beer. The advertisement thus conveys underlying messages of stereotyped/traditional femininity and female roles can be ensured through the buying and giving a woman jewellery. Again there is a message of being able to ‘buy’ or ‘construct’ femininity and the way it is performed through duping a woman with shiny things and ensuring she stays in her place.
The next advertisement takes this idea of using jewellery as means of shaping femininity to a slightly darker area. In Figure 38 it reads: ‘Whack! Pow! Whoosh! Kablam! In a tender, loving sort
of way.’ Again a male viewer is addressed and suggests the obtaining and giving of jewellery can
keep a woman in her place. Here, another element of language, onomatopoeia, is used to relay sounds of fighting with exclamation marks serving to highlight and intensify each word as if isolating each word to resemble a blow/punch. This intense ‘action’ sequence is contrasted by the following of tender words, which when looked at optimistically could relay an idea of ‘slapping some jewellery on you(woman) in a loving sort of way’ but when looked at through the lens of feminism speaks to the abuse of women. It portrays femininity as submissive and in this case
93 abused and suggests an idea of femininity in which women will take the abuse as long as you buy them things, this in turn will be interpreted as love. This need for love, affection and protection is seemingly portrayed as ‘all women want’, no matter the form that takes. The stereotyped ideal of femininity as passive, submissive, docile and in need of protection is thus relayed through the use of language, but the language also relays other meanings of abuse against women and being able to buy forgiveness from these abused female bodies by giving jewellery that will decorate and validate these bodies anew in the shaping of a certain femininity.
Tiffany & Co. have opted for a nonstereotyped visual representation of femininity and the female body in their ‘Will You’ Spring 2015 (see Figure 39) yet the language that this advertisement uses still alludes to stereotyped gender and gender roles. An examination of the visual elements is necessary to clarify the juxtaposition of femininities. In the image the female is showcased with a participating gaze with the camera while the male hides his face is her neck and holds a child in his arms. In advertising that relays stereotyped messages, the position and framing of bodies would have been done the other way around with the man staring at the viewer in a power position and the woman serving as an accessory on his side. The image is that of a wedding day and yet the traditional/stereotyped expectations of femininity and female behaviour are challenged in the imagery of the advertisement: firstly in the way the woman is wearing a white business suit instead of a wedding gown (hinting at a career woman, and not a woman dressed up as present for collection by a man), secondly the wedding couple already have a child so the ‘virgin’ bride image is challenged and thirdly the husband is holding the child thus suggesting that nurturing/caring/mothering a woman does to fulfil her gender role can be filled by a man as well.
Figure 39 Tiffany & Co. ‘Will You’ campaign, spring 2015, print
94 Though this advertisement makes use of presenting femininity in non-stereotyped ways in the visual elements/aspects, the way language is used within this text alludes to traditional/stereotyped gender roles. The text (written language element) of the advertisement reads as follows:
‘Will you know that as perfect as this ring is, it won’t be truly beautiful until it’s sparkling on your hand as you sip your tea and hug our kids and open the door to a world that gets more incredible all the time, just because you’re in it? Will you?’
The use of language thus portrays an image of a women waiting to be decorated by a ring as it will make her more beautiful (implying marriage and successfully finding a partner equals beauty). The language use further invokes an image of the woman/wife in the kitchen or in a household setting drinking tea with no other occupation than being the domestic. This is furthered in the way the text suggests the requirement associated with the wedding ring is the need to bear and raise children. This creates/shapes a view of femininity as the traditional wife, housemaker/host and mother. The idea of the ‘woman of the house’ is furthered by the way in which the text suggests the opening of a door to the world outside whilst the woman is still inside the house, inviting people in and being a hostess without venturing out into this world the male speaker mentions. It is thus clear that there is a juxtaposition of femininities, traditional/stereotyped femininity put up against the modern woman and femininities. The way the advertisement ends in a question suggests that the female viewer has a choice to make about the femininity she is willing to adopt and perform when it comes to marriage.