Advertising Theory and Practice: Sexist Stereotypes 2022

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Advertising Theory and Practice: Sexist Stereotypes
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Advertising Theory and Practice: Sexist Stereotypes
In the contemporary advertising industry, sexist stereotypes are very effective in
reaching and influencing the targeted market. In many cases, the female gender is mostly
used as the major advertising agencies. In many advertisements, women's beauty ideals are
used to instigate, influence and provoke the customer's perception and eventually, their
decision-making process. The sexualisation of women in modern-day advertising is a
portrayal of the ethical decay in the capitalistic world. However, businesses in the modern era
significantly benefit from the sexist approach that paints women as beautiful but base
creatures. This essay focuses on the unsound ethical advertisement sponsored by Ultra Tune
Unexpected Situations 8. The advertisement is hosted by Pamela Anderson, Warwick Capper,
Parnia Porsche, Laura Lydall, Tyana Hansen, and Rod Cedaro. Ultra-Tune uses "sexy"
women in their advertisement to capture and influence the decisions of its prospective
customers. The main argument in this paper is that although such advertisements successfully
lead to gains in society, its conventional principles, morals, and ethics are primarily harmed.
Advertisements such as Ultra Tune's Unexpected Situations 8 characterize women in
dishonourable images and thus, harms women's reputation. Moreover, such advertisements
successfully inhibit men contemporaries to view women as their equals. This essay attempts
to review some of the implications that such advertisements, despite their success to attract
customers, pose ethical dangers in our contemporary societies.
In the case advertisement, Warwick Capper is riding near the coast with a lady,
presumably his lover. When Pamela Anderson appears in her tight swimming pants that
expose her body, Warwick Capper loses his control and seems aroused by Pamela's beauty,
especially after Pamela grins and seductively greets him. Warwick’s car loses control and his
car gets stuck in the muddy beaches. Warwick and her lady get out of the car and see four

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other women in exposing and sexually arousing swimsuits. However, a wave comes and
threatens to sweep Warwick away. Pamela and her four other women associates, all dressed
in provocative swimsuits, jump in action and save Warwick’s life, after notifying Ultra Tune.
When jumping into the wave, Pamela and her associates run, pick their skiing boards and
bend their bodies in very stimulating manners. When an Ultra Tune’s agent arrives in the
scene, Warwick is already saved from the impending waves. Pamela Anderson then asserts
that people should “Avoid Unexpected Situations”. Pamela further asserts that customers
should “Get their Car Serviced at Ultra Tune” (Monaghan 2020). The advertisement ends
with a hideous and inciting laugh from Pamela Anderson.
The aforementioned contextual advertisement may function to successfully influence
and mobilize customers towards demanding Ultra Tune’s car service and road assistance
services. In advertisements, the use of provocative communication in the form of images and
graphics are very instrumental and effective to capture the target market's attention as well as
to influence customers' future decisions in favour of the advertised product (Sabri 2017, pp.
241). Sexual seduction, provocation, and controversy are some of the common forms of
advertisements used by present-day advertising companies (Bae, et al., 2015, pp. 237). In
their study, Wijaya (2015, pp. 75) reviews the hierarchy of effects model as used in
advertising, particularly the AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action) model. The author
asserts that technological advancements have changed the manner in which individuals
socialize and communicate, along with the paradigm shift to a consumer-oriented marketing
rather than a product-oriented marketing. This has necessitated the need to update the
hierarchy of effects model to align to the latest developments. Through the use of literature
review as well as reflective method, the scholar a concept of hierarchy of effects model that is
a development of the initial model (AISDALSLOVE). The results of this research reveal that

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the modern-day commonly used provocative forms of communication to persuade and
convince the modern generation.
In Ultra Tune's Unexpected Situations 8 advertisement campaign, the dress codes of
Pamela Anderson and her women associates functioned to instigate feelings of arousal to the
prospective customers. In the advertisement video, the women used in the video were dressed
in provoking swimsuits that exposed their breasts and thighs. The women in the video also
use provoking verbal and non-verbal cues, to influence and arouse its audience. Although
earlier and traditional mainstream media could not allow such advertisements, modern-day
media cannot resist such advertisements. Possibly, courtesy of the large sales of products
associated with such advertisements, companies are ready to pay huge sums of money to
media houses so that they can broadcast their advertisements.
According to Wyllie, et al., (2015, pp. 190) assert that in Australia, women are 3.7
times more likely to appear in advertisements as compared to men. 48% of the women in
advertisements wear very provocative clothing designs that are meant to arouse the public
(Monk Turner, et al., 2008, pp. 203). Women's dressing and behaviours have been the main
focus of advertising firms as women's bodies are portrayed in a sexually appealing fashion so
that the potential customers can develop a desire to the advertised product (Choi, et al., 2016,
pp. 825). Despite the irrationality, people are more likely to purchase or order for a good or
service when the advertisement uses a beautiful woman, dressed and behaving in an arousing
manner. Considering that they want to please and satisfy the expectations of their customers,
businessmen and marketers plan and fund sexually provoking advertisements to fit customers'
expectations. Therefore, provocation in an advertisement is purely a marketing affair.
Machova, et al., (2016, pp. 40) assert that the use of women for sexual provocation in an
advertisement is an innovation in the marketing industry. This advertisement trend demands

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the question of whether contemporary societies' beliefs, attitudes, and behaviour align with
the conventional moral and ethical standards. Considering that businessmen and marketers
only function by satisfying what we expect from them, modern-day sexist advertisements are
thus influenced by our societies' moral and ethical degradation (Arens, Weigold and Arens
2017, pp. nd). The value of women in our contemporary society has greatly deteriorated.
In her web article attempting to investigate and examine Ultra Tune’s Unexpected
Situations 8 advertisement, Miles (2020) warns her audience against taking the advertisement
issue in the advertisement as a “feminist rant” but rather, a “business performance problem
and a social issue”. The analyst refers to the advertisement as “an epitome of misguided
marketing" that is more likely to "go more harm than good to our damaged society". Miles
refers to society as already damaged because she cannot understand how such advertisements
are championed in mainstream media platforms. In her article, Miles links women's
sexualisation in advertisements to the increasing number of abuse and violence against
women in society. Miles's sentiments similar to Borau and Bonnefon (2019, pp. 48)
sentiments that tend to assume a direct correlation between the sexualisation of women in
mainstream media and the increasing gender-based violence cases. Gurrieri, et al., (2016, pp.
nd) ascertains that the portrayal of women controversial mainstream media advertisement is a
primary reason behind the problems associated with sexual harassment and violence among
the youth. Sexualized women in advertisements increase the myths of acceptance and
tolerance towards harassment and gender-based violence in their contemporary societies
(Driesmans and Vandenbosch 2015, pp. 91). In advertisements, women are posed as fragile
and physically weaker creatures as compared to males. These misconceptions may be later
translated into day-to-day activities.

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In Ultra Tune's Unexpected Situations also pose women as the base and primitive
creatures. The author asserts that according to how the women are depicted in the
advertisement video, it is difficult for the audience to take women’s ability to serve in
leadership positions. Apart from exposing their bodies, the women in the video smile, grin
and laugh idiotically. In his article, Litovkina (2019, pp. 64) assert that many advertisements
make total fools of men by quoting the proverb that “any wise man can be fooled by a foolish
woman. Litokvina’s statement subtly means that many wise men’s decisions are influenced to
order and buy products by the folly and primitive by the women in advertisements. Elderly
women have negative attitudes towards female-featured advertisements because they can
identify how the woman's dignity was destroyed in the making of the advertisement
(Festervand, et al., 2015, pp. 304). In Ultra Tune's advertisement, for instance, the women in
the video grin and laugh foolishly upon seeing Warwick Capper. Although it may be argued
that Warwick Capper's obsession and infatuation to Pamela Anderson is a sign of idiocy,
women's primitiveness and backwardness are seen from their foolish grins and unnecessary
smiles and expressions during the advertisement. Pamela Anderson's concluding grin,
moreover, is not only unnecessary but also a portrayal of women’s misguided misconception
about their beauty ideals.
In Ultra Turn's advertisement, the imitative desire theory of advertising was cleverly
used to influence and corrode the audience's mind. The imitative desire theory functions by
stimulating humans towards the need to achieve what they deem attractive. According to
Gallese (2009, pp 21), mankind tends to imitate and seek for what he desires, or what others
desire. Oughourlian (1991, pp. nd) asserts that the theory of imitative desire of advertising is
derived from the inherent human psychology to try imitating what the people generally
desire. For Ultra Turn's case, the company had beautiful women to stimulate prospective
customers' minds towards the desire of their products. Although the link between car

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servicing and beautiful women may not be obvious, the car service provider used beautiful
models to impose the idea of beauty in using the company's services. After watching such an
advertisement, many of the viewers may irrationally link the women's beauty to the
company's service provision. Pamela Anderson's message that customers should "Avoid
Unexpected Situations" by using the company's car services may impose a false and illogical
belief to the customer that the Ultra Turn provides effective and efficient services.
Customers, therefore, may succumb to their desires and imitate Pamela Anderson's
commercial advisory.
The mediation of reality theory of advertising is also manifested in Ultra Turn’s
Unexpected Situations 8 advertisement. In the mediation of reality theory, advertisers
combine different media and reality environments to communicate a certain message to their
targeted clients. The theory is usually applied to exaggerate a company’s efficiency by
incorporating and amalgamating actions and fictions that function to arouse, excite and
influence the customer towards a certain brand (Stamou 2013, pp. 328). Advertising using the
theory may also use the self-efficacy of models, real environments and exposure time to
induce novel effects in the minds of customers (Hopp and Gangadharbatla 2016, pp. 114). In
the Ultra Turn case, the company combines the concepts of wealth and beauty to illustrate the
need for urgent and effective care from their car services. For instance, the advertisement
takes place on a beach. Warwick Capper has a valuable car, to illustrate the concept of
wealth. On the other hand, Pamela Anderson and her team stimulate the minds of prospective
customers using beauty ideals. When Pamela Anderson and her team run to save Warwick,
the company attempts to show the company's value for urgency. Furthermore, the Ultra
Turn's representative arrives, moments after Warwick is saved by the beautiful women. In
essence, the mediation theory functions by introducing the viewer to fictions and ideas that
can serve to develop a liking towards the company's products and services.

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Theoretically, Ultra Turn’s advertisement fails by yielding to the common
misconception that relates sex drive to human entitlement. Many people believe that
advertisers use mild-erotica advertisement scenes to invoke sexual imagery in the minds of
their prospective customers (Pope, et al., 2004, pp. 70). Scholars usually refer to sex drive as
a necessity of life that humans cannot control. In her article, Miles (2020) refutes scholars
and exponents that tend to refer to sex as a drive. The scholar argues sex, unlike hunger,
security, and shelter, is not a primary necessity of life because humans cannot die for not
having sex. The scholar argues that sex can be controlled. The idea that sex cannot be
controlled has been used by advertisers to sanitize their mischievous behaviours when
displaying explicit sexual content. In Ultra Turn's case, the depiction of women with exposed
boobs and thighs cannot be sanitized. The company could have had made another
advertisement and still acquire considerable material without necessarily employing nudity in
its advertisement.
The belief that past sales are related to potential customers is dangerous for any
company or firm. In Ultra Tune's case, the company's management believes that its future
markets are guaranteed due to the company's heavy, viral and controversial advertising. Such
mentality subjects Ultra Turn's mentality into a post hoc fallacy whereby, people believe that
because event A happened before event B, event A must have been the cause for event B
(Lamport 2019, pp. 181). This causality fallacy induces the management to believe the notion
that because they had made considerable sales in the past by using controversial
advertisements, their potential customers are satisfied and are willing to continue accessing
the company's services. However, this may be proven to be wrong. The current
advertisement, for instance, may threaten the company's future market base. Considering that
many people have shown expressed dissatisfaction with the advertisement, the company may
likely register a fall in their potential customers. Moreover, considering that women are the

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major users of the Ultra Tune's car services, this company may fail to register an increase in
the potential market.
It is recommended that in future, the Ultra Turn should consider employing gender-
neutral advertisement strategies. Considering that Ultra Tune’s car services are targeted to all
members of the society, a gender-neutral advertisement approach may serve the company’s
intended purpose. Moreover, the Australian advertisement approval system should protect the
public from the reach of controversial, provoking and degrading advertisements. Television
stations, moreover, should shun companies that present them provoking and controversial
advertisements. Lastly, an advertisement regulatory body should be formed to reduce the
cases where companies threaten the moral and ethical standards of a society.
In conclusion, the Australian society and relevant stakeholders must ensure that
business enterprise, despite their primary objectives of increasing sales and profits, adheres to
conventional advertising strategies that do not harm or threaten the set moral and ethical
standards of the Australian society. The recent Ultra Turn’s advertisement is a manifestation
of misguided marketing in Australian society. The portrayal of women in the advertisement
contradicts the conventional ethical and moral standards that should be enjoyed by women.
However, businesses in the modern era significantly benefit from the sexist approach that
paints women as beautiful but base creatures. Although theories used by Ultra Turn may be
effective, the company should embrace gender-neutrality and avoid fallacious thinking when
making future advertisements. Australian approval and regulatory systems should also protect
society by restricting such advertisements. It is recommended that in the future, the Ultra
Turn should consider employing gender-neutral advertisement strategies. Nonetheless, the
Australian advertisement approval system should protect the public from the reach of
controversial, provoking and degrading advertisements.

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