Aqualite...
Aqualite
Date: January 1, 1970
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The billboard is advertising mineral water for Dariboard Zimbabwe Limited. The picture featured shows a male athlete drenched in sweat drinking the product. The caption reads, ‘nature’s best, Aqualite, pure cool refreshing.’
This advertisement may be used to:
1. Show how invariably men are portrayed in adverts as sports persons, strong and fit. Conversely women are excluded from these roles.
Trainer’s notes
In the Mirror on the Media Advertising research conducted by GL audiences male audience felt the advert related to the product. The female audience felt that the product had a heavy male bias.
The advert has been classified as gender – blind, as there is a lack of gender balance. The advert is not designed to appeal to women, even though they constitute half the market for mineral water.
Discussion Questions
1. Does the advertisment perpetuate gender stereotypes about men and women ?
2. There is no gender balance in this advertisement – is this good business?
3. What other approaches might have been used?
Training exercises
1. Ask participants to go to a local shop and observe who buys mineral water and why. Are there more men than women?
2. Have participants review advertisments – are both men and women shown as being sporty and fit ?
3. Conduct a poll – do men feel this advertisement represents them ? Would women be inspired to buy this water ?
4. Compare this advertisement with "Pro Shop" (below).
Other Training Tools
VRC – Pro Shop
Related GL Commentaries
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