Project 4

Calvin Klein could have done better

Background

Back in 2011, Calvin Klein made an advertisement with Eva Mendes. Throughout this ad, it showed her laying down almost completely nude with even a snapshot of her breast and nipple showing. She was wearing a sheet over her waist while rolling over into several erotic and seducing poses. It is a well-known concept that sexually explicit content gets attention, which is likely why advertisers use it so much. However, during the advertisement it would be difficult to understand or have any idea what the company was actually trying to sell as it appeared to only focus on sexualizing the model Eva Mendes. It was not until the very end when suddenly a bottle of perfume enters the picture to let the audience know the point to the long-drawn-out nonsense, they call advertising their product was actually their perfume. The ad did not really have much to do with Eva Mendes even if she really did wear it. In this ad, Eva was being treated just as much as an object as the item she was selling, as far as I could tell.

Why the erotic spotlight is wrong.

Women that are used for their body's, to sell a product, can be put in danger in many ways. Scenes from ads or commercials such as those shown in figure 1 can be both mentally and physically harmful to both the model and the audience. Figure 1 is a snapshot of a close up of only Eva Mendes's body which is the first step to objectifying somebody according to Jean Kilbourne in Killing us Softly 4. Kilbourne supports her claim on how women are put in danger by being used to sell products in her article "Three Ways a Women can Get Hurt." Kilbourne states "The way that ads portray bodies-especially women's bodies-as objects conditions us to see each other in dehumanizing ways thus "Normalizing" attitudes that lead to sexual aggression" (p. 488). These kinds of ads have huge impacts on how men see women and how women see themselves. Kilbourne argues that men and women are affected by ads more than we would like to admit, and the subconscious affected by ads play a part into the violence against women. The female audience can also be harmed mentally by being sold a flawless and unreachable idea of perfection as most model’s beauty is enhanced, which of course is put together with numerous products and airbrushed to make the perfect look. Trying to replicate a look that is not realistic and even at times computer generated, and unattainable can in some cases lead to bodily harm. An example of this is how Kate Moss grew in popularity and became a role model to women around the world. Her famous mantra was "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." This phrase was damaging to positive body images. Kate had a very thin look others wanted, and her female audience suffered from anorexia and even death trying to mimic it. Unhealthy ways women tried to attain Kate Moss's look was not limited to anorexia but was also bulimia. Trying to mimic her look not only led to eating disorders, but also excessive surgeries such as liposuction, and breast augmentations.

Figure 1

Sex Sells

This ad uses Eva Mendes's sex appeal to sell this perfume by mainly being directed at a man's subconscious. Men could be shopping for perfume, or a gift in general and these seductive thoughts may take them back to this video, pushing them to buy the product impulsively. This video advertisement may have them subconsciously think the women they buy this product for may not only smell like Eva Mendes but behave like her as well.

Ads sell more than products

Jean Kilbourne said in Killing us Softly 4 that ads sell more than products, they sell the concepts of love, and normalcy, etc. This ad is definitely selling more than the perfume Secret Obsession. As shown in figure 2 Eva Mendes is laying down without a shirt on in a sexually explicit pose to sell the product since sexual exploitation can sell. She is laying in a submissive pose which sends a message that not only is her behavior normal and desirable, but they are qualities that a woman should possess. Basically, the underlined message says men would/should find submissive women attractive, they should behave in this manner, and to be objectified by men is not only okay but should be desired.

Figure 2

Conclusion

Overall, instead of the advertising company focusing on the product it appears that most ads must rely on sexuality, unrealistic beauty, and pornographic themes to sell their products that cannot seem to stand on their own merit. Maybe, these ad company's use these things to be persuasive, competitive, to grab the audience's attention, and to keep their audiences focus but in reality, these methods are more disturbing and damaging than they are informative.

Works Cited

"Sign In." Sign In. Web. 23 Apr. 2021.

Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women. Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women. Web. 24 Apr. 2021.

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