In the modern world, advertisement is pervasive and infiltrates all aspects of life. The significance of advertising has been elevated due to intense competition in various industries. Advertising plays a powerful role in marketing success by increasing visibility and influencing people. Its primary goal is to promote products and services through diverse media channels including television, newspapers, radio, magazines, and the Internet. Additionally, it encompasses message delivery within the market.
The term may also be extended to show a product in a television program or movie, with the purpose of targeting the audience. This research paper focuses on the influence of advertisement on children and women in society. Nowadays, advertisements are ubiquitous in our daily lives. When walking on the street, advertisements can be seen in the shops or markets. While watching TV, advertisements appear during programs. And when reading newspapers, there are advertisements present.
Advertisements have a substantial impact on society and individuals’ behaviors as they are highly prevalent in our day-to-day lives. This influence can be advantageous or detrimental. To begin with, advertisements play a vital role in imparting customers with essential details about products, including their features, costs, and where to buy them. Essentially, advertisements direct us towards what to purchase and ways to improve our quality of life. Additionally, well-crafted advertisements possess the ability to stimulate consumers’ urge for buying.
Advertisement can typically enhance the sales of a particular product, thereby increasing a company’s profit and stimulating the local economy. Additionally, they have the potential to generate new fashion trends. Another noteworthy aspect is that well-executed advertisements are often regarded as remarkable pieces of art. They possess beauty and creativity, resulting in positive effects on both society and individuals. Advertisements contribute to elevating the social aesthetic level and inspiring people to embrace and cultivate creativity. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that not all advertisements are advantageous.
Advertising has a detrimental impact on society and individuals’ actions. Companies frequently utilize it to increase sales, causing them to prioritize attracting audiences without considering the potential negative outcomes. A significant aspect of advertising’s influence is its focus on children worldwide. O’Guinn and Shrum (1997) emphasize two aspects of media’s effect on children: advertising and editorial/programming content. Advertising specifically aims to educate young consumers about products and promote their purchase.
Due to the influence of advertising on children, it is crucial for the media to engage with them and promote interaction. Children typically have a passive role in learning and frequently imitate others. As they develop, they actively seek out role models, often drawing inspiration from magazines, movies, and TV shows. They observe and acquire knowledge about various aspects such as fashion, music, dance, and perspectives.
Children can acquire information about products from two sources: their parents and their peers. Parents play a crucial role as agents of consumer socialization, teaching children how to choose satisfactory products that are available in the market. Parents also educate children on comparing products based on price and quality. Studies in western countries have shown that the frequency of shopping trips with parents enhances children’s knowledge about purchasing information. Moreover, communication within the family has an impact on young individuals’ interactions.
Television advertising has a strong effect on children, as evidenced by research. It greatly influences their desire for advertised products. Along with media influence, peer influence also plays a significant role in shaping young minds. While at school, children spend considerable time together studying and playing. They learn from each other about popular clothing styles and how to dress attractively. Additionally, peers greatly impact children’s decisions and interactions with products. For example, they rely on friends’ recommendations to find stores with better prices or superior brands.
It is apparent that if child A and child B are close friends, they consistently engage in joint playtime. Moreover, if child A expresses a fondness for a particular brand of products, it will inevitably influence child B’s preference toward the same brand. Furthermore, numerous studies have emerged reinforcing the notion that the more children impact each other, the higher their likelihood of purchasing various goods. Consequently, children represent an important consumer segment on a global scale. Additionally, advertising exerts substantial influence on women within society. Over time, prevailing standards of “beauty” have persisted throughout different historical periods.
Today, various forms of media, particularly television, are constantly attempting to dictate society’s perception of beauty. Advertisements, in particular, strive to shape the definition of female attractiveness in order to cater to male desires. They present women as mere aesthetic objects and utilize the concept of “copy beauty” to allure consumers. As a result, women, being the intended audience, are undoubtedly influenced by these advertisements while watching. The images showcased in such advertisements serve as ideals to aspire towards. These pictures present models adorned in exquisite clothing and possessing flawless figures, including long flowing hair.
The seductive and appealing appearance of these advertising images is pervasive in society, influencing women’s perceptions of their own looks and clothing choices. For instance, we are constantly exposed to depictions of elegantly dressed air hostesses with long flowing hair who credit the use of “LOREAL” shampoo for their beautiful locks. Can women disregard this influence? All these elements contribute to a distorted view of “female beauty,” leading women to make misguided consumption decisions. According to the stereotypical image, only a small fraction of women can embody the standards of being both “young” and “beautiful”.
The text explores how women are changing themselves using different methods, including cosmetics, beauty products, breast augmentation surgery, and cosmetic surgery. These approaches aim to replicate the idealized figures portrayed in advertisements. Consequently, women become ensnared by the strategies employed by stores. They internalize the values promoted in advertising and submit to consumerism. This suggests that the advertising industry presents an idealized version of the “perfect female” while exploiting women’s insecurities about not aligning with the models depicted in ads for marketing and selling purposes. As a result, stereotypical advertising impacts women’s consumption patterns.
According to a study conducted on Stanford graduates and undergraduates, 68% of students reported feeling worse about their appearances after reading women’s magazines. This is exemplified by the magazine “Allure,” where out of 30 advertisements, 90% of them feature thin Caucasian women with long golden hair and blue eyes. Even African American women are portrayed with light and straightened hair in an attempt to resemble Caucasian women.
