Tide

Question 1

What year was Tide launched?

Answer 1

1946

Tide was designed specifically for heavy-duty, machine cleaning.

Question 2

Which character type was prominently featured in Tide’s advertising?

Answer 2

Housewife character

This character was used to convey affection and loyalty towards Tide.

Question 3

What historical context influenced Tide’s advertising in the 1950s?

Answer 3

Post-WWII consumer boom

This era saw the rapid development of new home technologies.

Question 4

How did 1950s print adverts differ from modern ones?

Answer 4

Used more copy

Early consumer culture required more detailed information about new brands and products.

Question 5

What compositional techniques can be applied to the Tide advert’s layout?

Answer 5

Z-line and rough rule of thirds

These techniques help guide the audience’s eye through the advert.

Question 6

What do bright, primary colors in the Tide advert connote?

Answer 6

Positive associations

The colors aim to create favorable perceptions of the product.

Question 7

What type of font is used for headings and slogans in the Tide advert?

Answer 7

Sans-serif font

This font choice connotes an informal mode of address.

Question 8

What does the use of a comic strip style image in the Tide advert achieve?

Answer 8

Reinforces informal communication

It features women discussing the product using informal lexis.

Question 9

What font is used for more ‘technical’ details in the Tide advert?

Answer 9

Serif font

This font choice connotes seriousness and factual information.

Question 10

According to Barthes’ Hermeneutic Code, what creates suspense in the Tide advert?

Answer 10

The enigma of ‘what women want’

This is emphasized by the use of multiple exclamation marks.

Question 11

What do the hearts above the main image in the Tide advert signify according to Barthes’ Semantic Code?

Answer 11

Connotations of love and relationships

These elements suggest that Tide fulfills emotional desires.

Question 12

What rhetorical devices are used in the Tide advert to highlight its cleaning power?

Answer 12

• Hyperbole
• Superlatives
• Tripling

These devices create a sense of superiority over competitors.

Question 13

True or False: Tide quickly became the brand leader among Procter & Gamble’s competitors.

Answer 13

True

Tide overtook competitor products by the mid-1950s.

Question 14

How did Tide’s adverts challenge societal views of women in the 1950s?

Answer 14

They challenged stereotypical views of women being confined to the domestic sphere

This was significant during a time when traditional male roles were changing.

Question 15

What technological advancements made domestic chores easier in the 1950s?

Answer 15

Vacuum cleaners, fridge-freezers, microwave machines

These products became desirable for consumers.

Question 16

What connotations are associated with the use of hearts in 1950s advertisements?

Answer 16

Love and relationships

It suggests that the product fulfills what women want.

Question 17

What rhetorical devices were commonly used in 1950s advertising?

Answer 17

Hyperbole, superlatives, tripling

Examples include ‘Miracle’, ‘World’s cleanest wash!’.

Question 18

What was the impact of Tide’s advertising strategy by the mid-1950s?

Answer 18

Tide became the brand leader

Procter and Gamble’s competitors were rapidly overtaken.

Question 19

According to Claude Lévi-Strauss, how is meaning constructed in texts?

Answer 19

Through binary oppositions

Audiences understand conflicts to derive meaning.

Question 20

What does the phrase ‘Tide gets clothes cleaner than any other washday product’ illustrate?

Answer 20

Conceptual binary opposition between Tide and competitors

It reinforces Tide’s superiority.

Question 21

What social change did the 1950s advertisements reflect regarding women’s roles?

Answer 21

Challenged stereotypical views of women confined to domestic roles

Society needed this change as men left for war.

Question 22

What fashion elements were present in 1950s advertising representations?

Answer 22

Stereotypical hairstyles, headbands, and scarves

Influenced by contemporary film stars and wartime practicality.

Question 23

Fill in the blank: Advertisements in the 1950s linked domestic perfection with a need for _______.

Answer 23

speed, convenience, and a better standard of living

This was a shift from pre-war expectations.

Question 24

What does the headband or scarf worn by women in 1950s adverts signify?

Answer 24

Focus on work

It contrasts with the full makeup, suggesting dual roles.

Question 25

According to Stuart Hall, what do the images of domesticity in the advert form?

Answer 25

A shared conceptual road map

This means that the representations help audiences relate to their own lives and experiences.

Question 26

What does David Gauntlett’s theory of identity suggest about women in the advert?

Answer 26

They act as role models of domestic perfection

Audiences may compare themselves to these representations to construct their own identities.

Question 27

Which feminist theorist argues that media contributes to social change by depicting women in non-traditional roles?

Answer 27

Liesbet Van Zoonen

Van Zoonen’s theory critiques traditional media representations of women.

Question 28

What social context is highlighted regarding women’s roles during WWII?

Answer 28

Women took on roles in medical and military support

Despite these changes, domestic products continued to target female audiences.

Question 29

What demographic does the advert likely target?

Answer 29

Affluent lower-middle class women

The focus is on innovative domestic technologies for this audience.

Question 30

What does the endorsement from Good Housekeeping Magazine signify in the advert?

Answer 30

It makes them an Opinion Leader

This endorsement reinforces the credibility of Tide as a leading product.

Question 31

What is the preferred reading of the advert according to Stuart Hall?

Answer 31

Tide provides solutions to domestic chores needs

The lexical fields used convey reassurance and safety.

Question 32

What key ideas does the Tide advert aim to cultivate according to Gerbner’s theory?

Answer 32

• Tide is the brand leader
• Nothing else washes to the same standard as Tide
• It’s a desirable product
• Miracle suds are an innovation

Consistent messaging can align audience ideologies with the product.