Saturday, February 28, 2009

Gender Specific- Yay or Nay?

As previously mentioned, as opposed to emotionally warm colors like red, orange, and yellow, BLUE is linked to consciousness and intellect.

But is this color gender specific?
One study says that blue is highly accepted among males, but another says it has no gender specificity. Here is an ad that i want each of you to examine and give me your feedback on. There are several messages being presented, and each observer might analyze the gender roles differently. When looking at this ad, try and step away from your initial observations; look at it objectively...



What is the message?
How do you think the advertiser is using blue to relay their message?
Do you think this ad is more appealing to men or women?
Does the blue surrounding accentuate the male or the female?


Here is my personal assessment...

I believe that blue is not a gender specific color in this specific ad. There is a clear purpose, and colors are used to achieve that purpose. To me, the blue in the ad accentuates the man and woman, but in separate ways. His stance gives him power, he has his legs firmly planted, he has his blue power suit on, and you can't see his face, which is another domineering gesture; he is indescribable and yet attractively attainable.

The woman, on the other hand, is not seemingly submissive. Instead she is alluring and identifiable. (Kenneth Burke has some very interesting ideas on identification, and I will delve into that subject in posts soon to come.) The woman has her own power; she is provocative. The blue surrounding her, also reflecting in her glasses, accentuates her as well. She is beautiful, collected and unabashed by this mans stance. She holds power, but in a completely different way than the man.

What are your thoughts? There is no right or wrong answer:)

3 comments:

Jamie Riera said...

The blue in this ad is used more to promote the item. Skyy vodka has a blue bottle, and of course the sky is blue (and if often used in their ads due to the obvious relation.

The man has this tense, domineering power. The ad definitely is more attractive to males than females. Sex sells.

It's kind-of a bizarre ad. My eye goes right to his crotch and her boobs...that triangle of space in the middle of the image. The contrast in their stances and dress are drastic.

Jhood21 said...

Off the bat, I see the man hosting the darker blues and the woman with her light blue sunglasses. The dark blue to me signifies authority, and pertaining to this ad the man is placed in a dominant position with dominant shades of blue. Odd ad? yesss... Exactly what Jamie said, your eyes are forced to follow in taboo areas.

for the love of frank said...

i got a slightly different idea from it... if only because you said to step out of the familiar realm of initial impression.

i see the woman very powerful, almost moreso notwithstanding the man's superior postition and stance.

the woman is receiving a lap dance of sorts. the man's body solely exists for her and she's leering at what he has to give her. he comes prepared to party, call-girl-esque. he is the alluring one. she is the gawker.

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