Score hair cream advert

Question 1

What was the social context of the advert?

Answer 1

• Advertising industry dominated by men
• Intended audience were adult men
• Men dominated public sphere, women dominated provate sphere especially after marriage

Question 2

What was the historical context of the advert?

Answer 2

• Homosexuality made legal in 1967 = comforts straight men into thinking grooming is masculine + not gay
• Style of having slick + shiny hair popular with artists + icons in 60s
• Increased equality for women = equal pay act 1970
• Race relations act 1968 = banned racial discrimination in employment, housing, + advertising

Question 3

What was the cultural context of the advert?

Answer 3

• Gender = binary, conventional, traditional, hyper masculinity
• Race = caucasian, creates discourse that celebrates empire + colonial values
• Class = celebrates middle classes + creates ‘aspirational’ lifestyle for working class

Question 4

What is the preferred reading of the advert?

Answer 4

Men are the dominant gender + women are prizes that can be won

Encourages gender inequality, appeals to male audience

Question 5

How does score construct a narrative which appeals to its target audience?

Answer 5

Lexical code = if u use the haircream, you will always have a woman’s company

Direct address = makes audience feel targeted + included, looking at u + audience addressed in lexical code

Question 6

How does the advert create desire for the product?

Answer 6

• Man surrounded by lots of women = 1967 was time where women biewed sexually, so them being in little coothing catches male audience’s attention
• Women surrounding men gives reassurance that grooming urself isnt gay, since homosexuality made legal in 1967

Question 7

What is hyper masculinity?

Answer 7

Belief that in order to identify as a man, u mustnt be feminine or resemble a woman in any way

Question 8

How can hyper masculinity be applied to the advert?

Answer 8

Man is muscular, holding gun, + surrounded by women showing physical strength +heterosexuality

Typical masculine characteristics

Question 9

How is costume, makeup, + placement of models constructed to show male dominance?

Answer 9

• Man is above women, asserting dominance + showing superiority
• Women always looking upto man, worshipping him
• Women in little clothing, male audience appealed to

Question 10

How does the slogan represent the social + cultural context?

Answer 10

Women are a prize for men + they are the dominant gender - shows traditional + mainstream views of gender differences

Question 11

Why is it important that the advert says ‘made for men’ and ‘score’s famous masculine scent’?

Answer 11

• In a time where women fighting for equality + men losing power, so it reassures them they are still strong + dominant
• Don’t want to be feminine, hyper masculine

Question 12

What representation of sexuality can be found in the advert?

Answer 12

Homosexuality - women + men, women surrounding + worshipping the men

Question 13

How might the audience response to the advert in 2024 be different to 1967?

Answer 13

• May argye women treated like objects + degraded = since women equal to men now
• Only white people = may argue its not inclusive, discrimination not condoned