Advertising in Our Society

Advertising in our Society

Have you walked down the razor isle at the store lately? Well if u have, you have probably noticed how confusing it is. There is what seems like millions of different razors to choose from. Two blade, three blade, and even four blade razors surround you. They are all screaming out these promises of “the closest shave possible”. One side of the isle is lined with men’s razors and the opposite side is lined with women’s razors. Although there are similarities in the way razors are advertised, there are some distinct differences in the way they appeal to women and they way they appeal to men.

There are similarities in the techniques advertisers use to sell razors. Sex appeal is the main concept advertisers try to get across to both men and women. “Why does advertising use sex as an appeal to the consumer? The answer is simple: because it works.(3)” If you buy their product, members of the opposite sex will be more likely to notice you. One example of this is the men’s Gillette Mach 3 razor advertisement. A handsome, topless, muscular man is shaving with the Mach 3 razor, and then it cuts to a demonstration of the blade shaving the skin smoothly. Next, it cuts to a beautiful woman feeling his smooth face, and then the woman says, “You’ll love the difference and so will we”. The same thing goes for women’s ads as well. Women’s ads will use slogans like “smooth, touchable legs” to make the woman think that if she uses that razor she will have legs that men will want to touch. Other similarities among men and women’s razors include: safety, smoothness, and comfort.

Advertisers use many techniques that appeal to women. Women have always been very beauty conscious and insecure about their appearances. “Advertisers have taken advantage of this by bombarding women with ways in which they can “improve themselves”.(2)” There are millions of advertisements out there for all different types of women’s razors. Some ads promote convenience. Take the Intuition razor ad for example. A woman is in her bathtub shaving, when a bar of soap flies out of her hand. Then, another woman accidentally squirts shaving cream in her face, and the next woman keeps losing

her balance trying to shave her legs in the bathroom sink. This ad is supposed to make women think that they need razors that come with shaving cream built in. Women’s razors come in many bright neon and pastel colors. Many women’s razors even offer different color options like pink, purple, or aqua. Women’s razors also come in a number of different shapes that are said to be designed specifically for the curves of a woman’s body, allowing for the most comfortable shave possible.

Advertisers also use many techniques that appeal to men. Most men are not as into their appearances as women are. “Author Dave Barry says, “Most men form an opinion of how they look in the seventh grade, and stick with it for the rest of their lives”.(1)” However, men have always had a fixation with being tough and strong. For a razor to appeal to a man, he wants his razor to be tough and strong also. Men’s razors are made mostly of metal, whereas women’s consist mostly of plastic. Men like the feeling of having something heavy in their hands. Men’s razors come in different colors but they are dark and bold colors like black, red, and