Tropes in the Media

Analyzing Media Activities

Advertising in the Media

• ~ 3, 000 Ads everyday• “By the time a person in the

United States is 65 years old, he would have seen an estimated two million television commercials.”

• “$ 500 billion a year is spent on advertising worldwide ( $ 15 million on kids)”

• “Advertisers are expected to spend $4 billion on Facebook in 2011.”

1. Dove Campaigns• Dove is a gem of the

advertising world because of their viral videos from ‘Real Beauty’ campaign (Revolutionary)

• Dove’s research on women:2% consider themselves

beautiful42% uncomfortable describing

themselves as beautiful• 2004- Enlist real women in

Ads

Real Sketches by Dove

Dove Evolution

• Videos concentrate on exposing the beauty industry for digitally altering women’s appearance and creating this misconception of how the average ‘real’ women acts or looks.

• Does Dove play into a trope or break free?

2. Axe’s Campaign

• Branding technique: Sex Sells

Billions by Axe

Apollo by Axe

Dove’s relationship with Axe

• Unilever company creates the Ads for both brands

• Edelman does the PR for both brands

• Is more transparency needed?

Is the strategy wrong and a game changer in order?

• Is it hypocritical of either company?• Is the message of Dove still valid?• Is Dove’s message positive or negative? Who

does it affect and how?• Is Axe’s message positive or negative? Who

does it affect and how?• Does there need to be more transparency as to

who produces these social media messages?

Common Themes

- Tropes- Gender roles - Body image- Desire to be desirable and not rejected- Self-esteem- Attractive- Empowerment versus disempowerment- Objectification and the Sexualizing of a gender- Stereotypes

Activity

• Find your own tropes in any form of media.1. Upload image to befunky.com2. Write across the image what kind of trope it

is!3. Think about why this is a trope?