Score advert and wider reading

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 - its important because during this period, views in society about women were starting to change, partly due to this be the period of third wave feminism.

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

-women dressed in sexualised hunting costume: short skirts, tied-up shirts and ammunition belts - links to Mulveys 'male gaze', suggesting a woman's purpose is to appeal to men
-women positioned reaching out to him suggests he is a significant figure and has dominance as he is also placed higher up
-the man is holding a a gun suggesting he is the dominant as he has power over their lives

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?

-it suggests that the consumer can have anything they want if they use the hair product
-suggests that what men wanted in that time period was for women to want and desire them and chase after them.

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 that it is targeted at men as well as reinforcing expectations and gender stereotypes in society at the time

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

-the typical gender roles in society at the time are being portrayed by making the man a figure who is positioned as dominant and superior to the women who as submissive and chase after male attention.

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

-it reflects how masculinity was something important to men at the time and they had to be the dominant figure. The advert shows this by having the man hold a gun - a phallic symbol to reinforce his masculinity.

7) How much do you think things have changed with regards to representations of masculinity in advertising?

-representations of masculinity are gradually beginning to change in advertising and is much less extreme than it used to be, as some brands are starting to use public figures to go against the 'norms', such as Covergirl, who recruited James Charles as one of their brand ambassadors. However, the way masculinity in advertising is represented is in some ways the same as it was 50 years ago as some advertisements still reinforce Mulvey's 'male gaze'. For example, perfume adverts often feature a woman who is dressed to look attractive and appeal to the male, who is typically in little clothing and has abs and big muscles.

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'"?

-we focus on girls more and the issues that effect them but dont usually look at the issues that could effect boys as it has become normal to brush it off and tell them to man up or just deal with it.

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

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

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

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?


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?

- A glamorous James Bond-style masculinity that attracted ‘the ladies'
- 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?

-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. All brands need to do their part in making the world a better place, so looking at masculinity can really be seen as part of corporate social responsibility efforts.


-The self-serving reason is that masculinity is constantly shifting and brands need an equally agile response in order to engage with consumers and remain relevant and competitive. By repeating tired clichés or offering alternatives of only limited imagination, brands are in danger of failing on both these fronts

3) What are the five stages of masculinity?

Stage 1 is defined as "unconscious masculinity", which means that traditional masculinity has been adopted by someone without them even thinking about it.

Stage 2 is defined as "conscious masculinity", which means that traditional masculinity has been consciously adopted by someone.

Stage 3 is defined as "critical masculinities" and is largely aligned with feminist thought. People at Stage 3 are aware that society is often patriarchal and homophobic and want to counter these problems. They also tend to believe that masculinity is not biologically determined, rather socially constructed.

Stage 4 is defined as "multiple masculinities" and suggests that masculinity can mean anything to anyone.

Stage 5 is defined as "beyond masculinities" and proposes the simple truth that masculinity does not exist. People at Stage 5 understand how masculinity operates at the other stages, but ultimately believe it to be an illusion that society has created to keep people in line

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


Stage 2

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

It is important as it will kelp them know what products appeal to men and different types of men. It helps the advertisers keep up with the changing views of men and how masculine their products should be in order to appeal to consumers.