Masculinity

Advertising: Score case study and wider reading 

We have already studied the changing representation of women in advertising but there is no doubt that the portrayal of men and masculinity has also changed significantly too.

Our first advertising CSP, the 1967 Score hair cream advert, provides a compelling case study for the representation of both men and women.

Notes from the lesson and the blog task are below.

Hypermasculinity in advertising

Hypermasculinity is defined as: a psychological term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behaviour, such as an emphasis on physical strength, aggression, and sexuality.

Advertising in the 1950s-1980s often featured a hypermasculine representation of men – and some representations in the media today still continue this.

Gelfer: Changing masculinity in advertising

Joseph Gelfer, a director of masculinity research, suggests that the way masculinity is represented in advertising is changing. Looking at advertising over the last 20 years:

“Previously, masculinity was mostly presented in one of two ways: either a glamorous James Bond-style masculinity that attracted ‘the ladies’, or a buffoon-style masculinity that was firmly under the wifely thumb. 

Thankfully, and somewhat belatedly, things are beginning to change.” (Gelfer, 2017)

Gelfer: Five stages of Masculinity

Gelfer suggests there are five stages of masculinity – how people perceive and understand what it means to be a man.

Stage 1: “unconscious masculinity” – traditional view of men

Stage 2: “conscious masculinity” – as above but deliberate

Stage 3: “critical masculinities” – feminist; socially constructed

Stage 4: “multiple masculinities” – anyone can be anything

Stage 5: “beyond masculinities” – it doesn’t exist 

Gelfer says advertisers need to think about how their target audience views men and masculinity when creating campaigns.

Masculinity in crisis? David Gauntlett

Media theorist David Gauntlett has written extensively on gender and identity. He disagrees with the popular view that masculinity is ‘in crisis’:

“Contemporary masculinity is often said to be 'in crisis'; as women become increasingly assertive and successful… men are said to be anxious and confused about what their role is today.”

Instead, Gauntlett suggests that many modern representations of masculinity are “about men finding a place for themselves in the modern world.” He sees this as a positive thing. (Gauntlett, 2002)

Score hair cream advert: CSP context

The Score hair cream advert is an historical artefact from 1967. It should be examined by considering its historical, social and cultural contexts, particularly as it relates to gender roles, sexuality and the historical context of advertising techniques.

Context: 1967 can be seen as a period of change in the UK with legislation on (and changing attitudes to) the role of women – and men – in society. Produced in the year of decriminalisation of homosexuality and three years before the 1970 Equal Pay Act, the representation of gender could be read as signalling more anxiety than might first appear. The reference to colonialist values can also be linked to social and cultural contexts of the ending of Empire.

Blog task: Score advert and wider reading

Complete the following tasks and wider reading on the Score hair cream advert and masculinity in advertising.

Score hair cream advert

Answer the following questions to ensure you have a comprehensive textual analysis of the Score hair cream advert:

1) What year was the advert produced and why is the historical context important? 

1967, advertising incorporated a lot of masculine personas.

2) Analyse the mise-en-scene in the advert how is costume, make-up and placement of models constructed to show male dominance?

His clothing paints him as a hero as oppose to the women who have a lack of clothing .
3) The main slogan is: 'Get what you've always wanted'. What does this suggest to the audience and how does it reflect the social and cultural context of 1967?

That you can get an abundance of women, attempting to enforce male dominance.

4) Why is it significant that the advert text says it is "made by men" and that it also contains "Score's famous masculine scent"?

It reinforces to the intended audience that it is a hyper masculine product.

5) What representation of sexuality can be found in the advert?

That the women are there for the male figure, they glorify him by holding him above them.

6) How does the advert reflect representations of masculinity in advertising 50 years ago?

That they were presented as heroes, due to the mise en seen of the clothing and props. But also that they attracted the opposite sex.
7) How much do you think things have changed with regards to representations of masculinity in advertising? 

They are perceived now as the family man, with a family. But is seen less in modern day adv. 


The Drum: This Boy Can article

Read this article from The Drum magazine on gender and the new masculinity. If the Drum website is blocked, you can find the text of the article here. Think about how the issues raised in this article link to our Score hair cream advert CSP and then answer the following questions:

1) Why does the writer suggest that we may face a "growing 'boy crisis'"?

A growing global ‘boy crisis’ suggests that we could be, in fact, empowering the wrong sex.

2) How has the Axe/Lynx brand changed its marketing to present a different representation of masculinity?

Men are craving a more diverse definition of what it means to be a ‘successful’ man in 2016, and to
relieve the unrelenting pressure on them to conform to suffocating, old paradigms.

3) How does campaigner David Brockway, quoted in the article, suggest advertisers "totally reinvent gender constructs"?

In order to prevent a full blown crisis of self-worth, Brockway advocates that advertisers “totally
reinvent gender constructs” and dare to paint a world where boys like pink, don’t like going out and
getting dirty, or aren’t career ambitious, for example.

4) How have changes in family and society altered how brands are targeting their products?

As Miller says, the definition of “family” in places like Britain is profoundly changing – but advertising is not helping to normalise different scenarios by largely failing to portray this new normal.

5) Why does Fernando Desouches, Axe/Lynx global brand development director, say you've got to "set the platform" before you explode the myth of masculinity?

Lynx/Axe has attempted to get the conversation rolling with its U-turn ‘Find
Your Magic’

Campaign: Why brands need to change

Read this Campaign article on Why brands need to change their approach to marketing masculinity. If the Campaign website is blocked, you can find the text of the article here. Think about how the article relates to our work on gender and advertising then answer the following questions:

1) What are two ways advertising traditionally presented masculinity?

Masculinity was mostly presented in one of two ways: either a glamorous
James Bond-style masculinity that attracted ‘the ladies’, or a buffoon-style masculinity that was
firmly under the wifely thumb.

2) What are the two reasons the writer Joseph Gelfer suggests for why this needs to change?

One altruistic, the other self-serving. The altruistic reason is that traditional masculinity causes problems, whether it be its impact on men’s wellbeing or on women and their equal representation in society. The self-serving reason is that masculinity is constantly shifting and brands need an equally agile response in order to engage with consumers and remainrelevant and competitive.

3) What are the five stages of masculinity?

Stage 1: “unconscious masculinity” – traditional view of men

Stage 2: “conscious masculinity” – as above but deliberate

Stage 3: “critical masculinities” – feminist; socially constructed

Stage 4: “multiple masculinities” – anyone can be anything

Stage 5: “beyond masculinities” – it doesn’t exist 

4) Take the Five Stages of Masculinity Personality Inventory testto see what stage of masculinity you are at. Where did it suggest your views are currently? Do you agree with its assessment? You can read more about the five stages of masculinity here.

5) What stage of masculinity was the Score advert aiming at in 1967?

Unconscious 

6) Why are the stages of masculinity important for companies and advertisers when targeting an audience?

They see what type of male they want to attract