Layer’r Shot perfume released two ads this month. Both the ads were unacceptable and bizarre. Such was the creepy content that netizens unleashed their wrath upon the makers for creating such a poor ad and ASCI was also asked to take some strict actions against the advertisement. ASCI thus took the onus upon itself to deal with the issue and have now stepped in with the new guidelines asking the ad agencies not to stereotype any gender and stop objectifying women.
End of the story.
But was the Layer’r Shot perfume ad the first to objectify women? Haven’t the women earlier been projected as a sexual object? Well, no. There have been multiple brands and multiple ads that have time and again objectified women. Let’s find out who they are.
Lux’s subtle objectification of women
The ads display women adorned in robes of silk. The ads display their smooth legs which look no lesser shiny and softer than the fabric. The ads show women wearing revealing costumes speaking seductive dialogues. The ads go beyond the extent to project women as sexual objects. Indian audience is mind-numbingly familiar with these kinds of videos and pictures.
Beginning with the Lux ad – Right from Leela Chitnis and Madhubala to Madhuri Dixit, Karisma, Aishwarya Rai and now Kareena, all have endorsed the goodness of Lux.
While some of them can be seen playing with the soap, others are displayed taking bath in a rose-petal strewn bathtub.The only brand that has had the endorsement of nearly 50 Indian film stars proudly claims “Lux- Aapki Khoobsurti ka raaz”.
Coca-cola’s contribution to the culture of objectification of women
Coca-Cola, too, contributed to this culture of objectification of women in order to sell their products by including revealing clothing, color symbolism, specific closeup camera angles, and sexual symbolism.
The brand’s ad for a new premium brand of milk features retro pin up girls half-naked and covered in milk. As per a report, in the video, “the milk hugs the women’s bodies in the shape of very skimpy outfits, combining the sexist trope of scantily clad women in sexy poses with the equally sexist trope of women doused in liquid to reveal their figures.”
The images are then covered with a series of sexist taglines, including “drink what she’s wearing” and “better milk looks good on you”.
The adverts objectify women’s bodies in a manner that is offensive and insulting.
Wild Stone ad
Out of all the advertisements, deodorant ads are the most sexual, objectifying women beyond extent. You’ll notice a woman who leaves all her dignity behind, only to find herself in his bed. Why? Well, only because his perfume smells great after? How disgusting, right?
Read more: Creepy, Objectionable, Bizarre – That’s the latest “Layer’r Shot” ad for you
However, one such advertisement is for Wild Stone deodorant.The brand, few years ago,ran an ad with the tagline ‘It happens’. Set amidst the backdrop of Durga Puja, the commercial displayed a married woman in the traditional Bengali attire who began fantasizing about having intercourse with a stranger man right after she bumps into him accidentally.
The Bengali community was deeply offended and thus, protested against the defamation of their religious festival.
Amul Macho ad
Now, coming to the undergarment brand ad which received severe backlash over its ‘Toing’ advertisement. Its ad featuring Sana Khan surprises you through its distasteful and vulgar dialogues and expressions which are explicitly double meanings. The Sana Khan starrer “Ye toh bada toing hai” ad of Amul Macho has been heavily criticized for its objectionable content.
Slice, Thumbs up and many more
Be it the infamous advertising of Slice, which displays Katrina Kaif sensuouslyhaving a mango drink; with the drink dripping down her lips or ‘Thumbs Up’, in which actor Ranveer Singh heroically jumps over an Egyptian pyramid to snatch a precious relic from the hands of a ‘thief’, both the ads have been in the news for depicting women as an object.
The advertising agencies depict the women in these ads as an object which equates them to the product often having no connection or adding no value to the inherent marketing of the drink. Another ad for the same brand featuring Salman Khan displays him jumping on and off helicopters and fast cars just to get a hold of one bottle, with a token ‘adventurous’ woman who has been used in the ad only as an object.
Read more: No objectification of women, No Surrogate Ads- ASCI issues new advertisements guidelines
The advertising agencies seemingly consider women only as a sexual object. Layer’r ad was nothing but a bad fish in the pool but the major concern is the continuous objectification of women in the other ads too. however, ASCI’s new guidelines are believed to be emerged as the new ray of hope we are hopeful that the ad industry doesn’t repeat its earlier mistakes.
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