Project 3

Godiva Chocolatier Commercial

Synopsis

Around 2015, Godiva released a commercial that advertises one of their chocolate boxes. At the beginning of the commercial, the advertisement shows multiple pairs of men and women. All of the men shown were coming up to the women and opening up a box of chocolate in order to give them a piece. Then two of the women started to eat a piece of chocolate in a very seductive manner. The camera would then cut to a different women teasing another man with chocolate. She acted like she was going to feed him but then ate the chocolate herself. At the end of the commercial, it depicts the women walking away and having the men follow them. One of the women started to take off her dress, which insinuates that there is going to be more. The video ends with a door closing on the couple.

Figure 1: Figure of a Women

Figure 2: Figure of a women sitting

The "Ideal" Woman in society

The Godiva commercial shows what the "ideal" women is supposed to look like. This shows very tall, skinny women with clear skin. It also portrays to men what they should find attractive. This could insinuate to a woman that they have to fit these ideals and stereotypes in order for them to get a man. In Kilbourne's "Two Ways a Woman can get hurt", she states," All women are vulnerable in a culture in which there is such a widespread objectification of women's bodies..."(pg. 504, para. 2). The commercial also shows the women acting very feminine and ladylike. This could show to a women that they have to act a specific way, so that they could attract attention from males. Mainstream media sets these beauty standards, showing what men should or should not find attractive or beautiful. These advertisement sends a message to women and young girls that they have to fit this "ideal" beauty standard in order for them to be found attractive or beautiful.

Sexual Innuendos

Many companies today us sex or sexual appeal in advertising to attract people to their product. Figure 3 and 4 shows men giving women a box of chocolates and watched as they ate the chocolate seductively. The purpose of this commercial was to get men to buy their chocolate. In Jean Kilbourne's "Two Ways a Women can Get Hurt" she writes, "The poses and postures of advertising are often borrowed from pornography..." (Kilbourne, pg 489 para. 3 ). In order to get people to buy their product the Godiva commercial 'dehumanizes and objectifies people'. The women's pose (figure 3 and 4) while they were eating the chocolate made it seem like they was being seductive which can prompt men to imagine pleasurable outcomes.

Figure 3: A women eating chocolate

Figure 4: A woman eating chocolate

Figure 6: A man looking at a woman

Figure 7: A man following a woman who is taking her clothes off

Figure 8: A man watching a woman

Objectification of Women

Objectification is the action of degrading someone to the status of a mere object. Figure 7 shows a women taking her clothes off and going into a room with a man following her and figure 6 shows a man looking at a woman as she walks away. The last image shows a man looking at a women taking her hair down. The commercial portrays women as no more than objects to be looked at and used for men's pleasure. Kilbourne stats, "Sex in advertising is pornographic because it dehumanizes and objectifies people, especially women, and because it fetishizes products, imbues them with an erotic charge" (pg. 489). The Godiva commercial emphasizes that giving women their chocolates will lead to them having sex. The women in these images are viewed as sexual objects for a man's pleasure.

Conclusion

In today's society there are such high and specific standards and ideals for what a women is supposed to look like and act like. As Kilbourne stated young girls are especially vulnerable. These commercials and advertisements are sending a message to girls on what they are supposed to look like. The sexualization of woman can be dangerous and harmful to a young girl's self-image. t is clear that in these Godiva commercial women are being viewed as sexual objects in order for them to be able to sell their chocolates. All through out this video, it shows to men that in order to get a women they need to buy them chocolate. It shows women being objectified, sexualized and the "ideals" on what a women should look like.

References:

Kilbourne, Jean. "Three Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt." Rereading America. Eds. Colombo, Cullen, Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's P. 2013.

Godiva Chocolatier One Minute Commercial, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG_A9SG9L5Y. Accessed 23 October 2020.

Photo References:

Pictures.Godiva Chocolatier One Minute Commercial.Youtube. 17 January 2015. Web 14. Oct. 2020.

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