As a capitalist nation, the success of the American economy depends on consumers buying from a supply of available products and services. The demand for these is often fostered in consumer marketing and advertising. Advertisers market their products to consumers by through appeals to the consumers’ desires for happiness, wealth, health, youth, and popularity. David Masci comments on American consumerism in “The Consumer Culture,” in which he writes: “The American marketing juggernaut is very intentionally telling people the world over that happiness is tied to acquiring things” (1003). In other words, advertisements appeal to consumers’ desires by persuading them that they will find all that they desire in a new sports car, new leather purse, or an expensive anti-aging cream.
For many Americans, these advertisements reflect a cultural myth that appeals to women’s desires for happiness, satisfaction, and sex appeal. Advertisements in magazines and newspapers often target specific groups of women by encouraging them to identify with the models and actresses on the page. These ads feature an “ideal American woman” who has purchased an “ideal American product” that brings them happiness, youth, and companionship. In this case, the good life “consists of buying possessions that cost lots of money” (Davis np). Women’s magazines like Cosmopolitan, Marie Clare, and Elle project images of young, happy, single women who own designer clothes and perfume and date handsome, adventuresome men. In fact, Jon Jameson notes that successful advertising campaigns in women’s magazines are so vital to the success of a company that sixty percent of Ralph Lauren’s entire Spring 2008 advertising budget was spent on print ads in four national magazines (459). Considering the significance of advertising on American culture and spending, this paper will identify two cultural myths and discuss how the ideal American single woman is projected in advertisements for Candies shoes and Citibank Visa.
No comments:
Post a Comment