Final Draft

Dimitrios Tsoukalas
Professor Bogacka
English 101.01
October 7 2010




Advertisements are usually a bunch of lies or stereotypes used to brainwash people into believing that they need a certain product. Advertisments play on your insecurities and your upbringing by making the consumer feel inferior, and they are made to believe that the product will remove they're weaknesses and insecurities. Most people fall under that consumer category because they are unable to realize the actual meaning of the advertisement. In terms of masculinities, men are supposed to feel like a man in our society and in order to do so, they need to follow what is given to them in advertisements, because if they don't, then they're manliness will be questioned.
In my advertisement by Giorgio Armani, a semi naked man is shown lieing on a sort of cloth. This is a direct contradiction of what a man is normally seen doing, yet in this contradiction, the same stereotype can be seen. The man is clean cut, well groomed, and most of all attractive, something which not everyone is, and many are insecure about. The advertisment plays with this insecurity and shows that the attractive man uses this product, so if the consumer uses it, they may fool themselves by thinking that they are attractive. It's the most common trick to use because in this day and age, many men feel like they're being constantly judged by woman, and in order to feel secure, this productwill make them like the guy in the advertisement.
Another important factor of my advertisement is the man’s glance. The model is looking directly at the consumer in this advertisement, but it's the way his looking at the consumer, something else which follows the common stereotype. The man is known for having a specific purpose in an advertisement, and as much as a contridiction to men advertisements this one is trying to be, it's the same thing as most mens advertisements. The way he is looking as the consumer isn't one of lust or just a blank stare, the model is giving a glance, one that feels the consumer with mystery or admiration. This glance could possibly be making the common consumer think that the model could be cool and against by getting this product, they could be this cool man in this advertisement.
Since advertisements have been using the same marketing tricks to brainwash people, it's apparent that it actually works. In order to prevent this people need to understand what goes on in their minds while they watch these advertisements, and try to understand their insecurities, if a person can learn to appreciate themselves, they won't want to be that attractive and cool person shown to them. They'll be happy with the person they are, because either way, those products won't change who you truly are, they'll just make you hide yourself under society's ideals.







Work Citied

Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani. Advertisement. Gentlemen’s Quarterly. (2002):N.p.
Print.