Advertising: OMO Advert CSP

1) What year was the advert produced?

It was produced in 1955.

2) How were women represented in most adverts in the 1950s? Add as much detail to this answer as you can as these are the social, cultural and historical contexts we will need to write about in the exam.

As Britain was still adjusting to a post World War Two society, advertising tried to motivate women, who, during World War Two, took on stereotypically male roles while men fought, back into the home. Therefore, they were generally depicted as housewives, mothers and caretakers who had no roles outside of household chores, in an attempt to protect a patriarchal ideology.

3) How does the heading message ('OMO makes whites bright') and the style of the text promote the product?

The text itself and the capitalisation of the 'B' in 'Bright' emphasises the main selling point, that OMO washing powder will make clothes extremely bright. The text is very large and bold, helping draw attention to it, and further highlighting the effectiveness of the product by making it the main focal point.

4) Analyse the mise-en-scene in the advert (CLAMPS): how is costume, make-up and placement of the model used to suggest women's role in society?

Her rolled-up sleeves and rag thrown over the shoulder have connotations of hard work, suggesting that women were expected to put in signifcant amounts of effort into household chores. She also has make-up on, with perfect hair, implying that women were also expected to consistently look 'pretty' (for the pleasure of men). Her pleasant expression indicates that she enjoys doing what she is stereotypically 'meant' to do, connoting that women were also meant to enjoy doing chores. These reinforce the 'housewife' stereotype.

5) Why is a picture of the product added to the bottom right of the advert?

A picture of the product is added so that when consumers go to the store or supermarket, they remember what the product looks like and buy it after remembering the advert.

6) What are the connotations of the chosen colours in this advert - red, white and blue?

The red, white and blue in this advert are the same colours used in the Union Jack in the flag of the UK. This colour scheme may allude to a sense of patriotism that was still felt by many as society was still adjusting to the effects of World War 2, which may have subconsciously induced people into buying the product.

The white and blue specifically also carry connotations of cleanliness, emphasising the purpose of the washing powder and the effectiveness of it.

7) How does the anchorage text use persuasive language to encourage the audience to buy the product? Give examples.

The anchorage text uses repetition, particularly with the words "white[ness]" and "bright[ness]". Altogether, these two words are repeated 15 times. This repetition may get 'stuck in the consumers' head' and create emphasis around the effectiveness of OMO washing powder. It ensures that consumers remember the brand and the product.

The anchorage text also uses the 'bandwagon' technique, in "millions of women". This evokes a 'fear of missing out' in consumers, who will end up wanting to try the product to avoid not being included. 

8) What representation of women can be found in this OMO advert? Make specific reference to the advert and discuss stereotypes.

Women were represented as primarily domestic, dedicated to home maintenance and housework. This is shown through the mise-en-scene of the woman in the central image. Furthermore, they were represented as somewhat unintelligent, shown by the heavy, patronising use of repetition that assumes women need to hear something multiple times to understand it.

9) What is the preferred reading for this advert - what did the producers of the advert want the audience to think in 1955?

The preferred reading for the advert would be held by men with preconceived misogynistic viewpoints, who would, potentially, believe that women should be restricted to the role of housewife, as they are 'inferior' to men. For women, the more simple preferred reading would be encouraging them to purchase the product, however, perhaps it intended to subtly push them back into domestic duties by reinforcing outdated stereotypes.

10) What is the oppositional reading for this advert - how might a modern audience respond to this text and the representation of women here?

Presumably, a modern audience would not be disapproving of the advert, but instead see it more as a relic that provides an educational insight into public attitudes at the time. However, a textbook oppositional reading would see the advert as offensive for portraying women in a misogynistic, restrictive and stereotypical way.

Grade 8/9 extension questions:

1) How much do you think things have changed over the last 60 years with regards to representations of women in advertising? Give examples from a variety of adverts.

Over the last 60 years, representations of women have changed significantly. Adverts now portray women in a more equal fashion to men: most of them no longer suggest women must always be pretty, or must be restricted to the domestic life. Women are now being depicted as independent, career-focused and confident. Furthermore, a more diverse selection of women are featured in advertising, with different ethnicities, cultures, etc. being celebrated and appreciated.

2) How is the aftermath of World War Two reflected in the Omo advert? Why did many adverts in the 1950s strongly reinforce the stereotype of women as mothers and housewives?

The aftermath of World War Two is reflected through the patriotic colour scheme of the advert (red, white and blue, representing the Union Jack), appealing to a westernised audience in favour of products that are perceived as more 'British'. Adverts strongly reinforced the stereotype of women as mothers and housewives in order to move them back into the home, to stop them from working in stereotypically 'male' roles, that were now reserved for men, who were no longer fighting in the war.

3) Read this Guardian feature on possible law changes with regards to gender representations in advertising. Do you agree with this approach?

While it is easy to regulate more outspoken uses of stereotypical gender representations in advertising, it is difficult to discern more complex, subtle uses. Despite this, I choose to agree with the ASA, as outdated stereotypes can cause a lack of social progress and it is fundamentally better to be 'heavy-handed' if it means removing the risk of spreading regressive, backwards mindsets, especially when it comes to the sexualisation of young women. As said in the article, the use of gender stereotypes in advertising can perpetuate gender inequality, engendering real-world issues like the gender pay gap. It should be straightforward and simple for companies to avoid the use of stereotypes - despite them being somewhat effective, they cause more harm than good.

4) Now read this Guardian feature entitled 'Mad Men and invisible women'. Why does it suggest the advertising industry has 'failed to move on'? Do you agree? Read some of the comments below the article to get a range of differing views on this topic.

It suggests that the advertising industry has 'failed to move on' because women are still being portrayed negatively in ads, mostly as attractive, young women "doing silly things in hysterical fashion because apparently that is all [they are] good at". The article references an advert where women stuff ladders into their tights, and another where Nicole Scherzinger becomes "sexually aroused by yogurt". Furthermore, a survey of ads revealed that "3% were portrayed in leadership roles, 2% were intelligent, and 1% were funny." Reading through the article, there are multiple more examples of blatant misogyny, showing how biased the marketing industry is towards men. The amount of men is significantly higher than the amount of women working in creative and design roles in the UK, showing a complete imbalance and inequality.

Considering the points made in the article, but also considering the present day, I somewhat disagree. Around the time the article was made, some advertising campaigns began to try and push the boundaries of gender roles, and it came out as ingenuine, because the advertising industry had been cultivated into using stereotypes wherever possible, and any attempt to break that mould came out as awkward and tacky. There were a shockingly high amount of examples of gender inequality named in the article - however, I would say that the present has moved on from this awkward, 'in-between' period, and we are now in a more progressive state in advertising. Personally, I haven't seen any examples of adverts now that compare to the heavily misogynistic examples in the article, and I believe that shows that the advertising industry has changed for the most part. Sexism will always be present in the advertising industry, but in my opinion, it has reduced significantly over the last few years.