Apple Max, ZNBC-TV...
Apple Max, ZNBC-TV
Date: January 1, 1970
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A woman is descending stairs with a bottle of Apple Max drink in her hand, while man is ascending. The two meet in the middle of the stairway. The man is dressed like a gangster giving the woman the creeps as she looks over her shoulder. While walking down she misses a step and crashes to the foot of the stairway. The man laughs at her, picks up the drink and starts drinking it thirstily while smiling at the sprawled woman at the foot of the stairs.
This article may be used to:
1. Highlight stereotypes of men as strong and women as weak
2. Analyse the devices advertisers use in creating adverts, and what those devices say about gender
3. Discuss what makes an advert effective or ineffective
Trainer’s notes
This advert perpetuates stereotypes of women and men. The man is portrayed as powerful, fearsome and domineering while the woman appears as a frightened, unsteady person. When she falls the man does not care about her safety – he does not bother to find out whether she is hurt despite causing her fall. He is only interested in her drink, which he does not even bother to ask for. As if that is not enough the woman smiles at the heartless man, reinforcing submission and tolerance of ill-treatment, which is common in gender-based violence. This advert sends home the message that women should endure pain without complaining, especially when it is caused or inflicted by men.
The advertisers appear to be attempting to create a humourous advert that would appeal to the under-30 population. However, in trying to use physical comedy, they resorted to sexist gender stereotypes. An important question to ask then is whether the advert is effective because of the slapstick comedy, or whether the sexism of the ad renders it ineffective. If people do find it an effective ad, it is also important to find out who likes it – do women find the ad as effective as men?
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think this ad is effective in promoting Apple Max? Why or why not? If yes, is it equally effective for women and men?
2. In trying to use humour to advertise their product, the advertisers have resorted to gender stereotypes. What other devices could they have used to make a funny advert? Would these devices be more or less effective than the current ad?
3. Who do you think the advertisers were trying to target? Have they reached their target group in an engaging way?
Training exercises
1. Break the participants into small groups and ask them to:
a) Describe the behaviour of the man and the woman in the advert.
b) What message does the man’s callous behaviour send to fellow men?
c) What are the implications for gender equality?
2. Ask each participant to write a new script for the advert. How could it be done differently?
Links to training resources:
Additional training resources
Picture our Lives, Gender and Images in Southern Africa, Chapter three: Sex, Gender and Stereotypes
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