Dr. Pepper TEN: IT's not for women. How disturbing is this to you?
Monday, November 26, 2012
Dr. Pepper: It's not for women.
Over thanksgiving break, I was eating and watching football at a restaurant with my family when I saw a disturbing commercial. I found it on YouTube to share, and came across different commercials for the same product. I thought this one was even more disturbing than the original one I watched...
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It's baffling to me that modern advertising is still choosing to explicitly target one gender over another. I believe that gender-targeted advertising can be successful but only when it is inoffensive and subtle. This commercial is demeaning, telling female audiences to keep their "romantic comedies and lady drinks". The ending clip showing "it's not for women" is even more ridiculous because it is excluding an entire consumer population. I think Dr. Pepper could have come up with a more successful ad campaign without patronizing women.
ReplyDeleteI guess this commercial was trying to be funny, but really it only comes off as offensive and patronizing. This is supposed to be going for men, but it is only using the stereotypes of men, which alienates all other men who may not like silly action movies with big car chases. Also, why would a soft drink, which is a food that appeals to both men and women, want to target men only? Understandably, there may be some diet foods that will cater to their women customers, but the way they do it is not as ham-fisted as the way that Dr. Pepper has advertised this product, with it's slogan of "It's not for Women". In trying to be funny and clever, Dr. Pepper only made themselves look sexist.
ReplyDeleteIt’s funny how this ad is using the stereotype that men love action movies and women do not, yet they are advertising a drink that only has 10 calories in it. Usually that is a female concern and something advertisers use to attract females consumers, such as the Yoplait yogurt ads. The setting of the commercial may appear “manly,” but the low calorie soda makes the man appear quite “girly.” Dr. Pepper is a drink that is enjoyed by both men and women they certainly could have come up with a better ad to include and attract the female population of consumers. I don't know how Dr. Pepper advertisers could think this would be funny, perceived well, or a successful ad for their product.
ReplyDeleteIn response to many of the comments about how it's weird that they're targeting a diet product to men - that's the whole point. Men have always been embarassed or felt uneasy about ordering diet sodas, " it doesn't seem manly" however I know tons of guys who'd rather not waste all those calories on a soda, especially when they drink a few in one day. Coke zero was designed for men, because they felt men would be more comfortable with ordering a coke zero rather than a diet coke. The can or label is also in black to really enforce its manliness. While this ad is very offensive and patronizing, I'm sure that at the end of the day, there will definitely be a group of consumers who now think it's "manly" enough to order diet drinks.
ReplyDeleteLauren, I do not agree with your comment that it is baffling that modern advertisement is explicitly choosing to target one gender over another. Advertisements have always done that, and I believe that it is a smart method to use. It can sometimes be far more productive to target one specific group than for the product to be left to a broad range of audience. When I saw this commercial, it made me think about the Volkswagen Beetle. For a good amount of time, VW Beetles were targeted more towards women. What other car could come in sunflower yellow, have flowers as the tail lights, and have a flowerpot right next to the steering wheel? This was the main look that the VW Beetle used for a certain amount years, and I highly doubt they were trying to target men. However, in recent years, VW changed the Beetle to a whole different look; a look that would appeal to not only a woman, but a man as well. With their new model, they are trying to get males back into the game and prove that the Beetle is not just for a woman. One specific commercial that comes to mind was a 2012 ad of a male driving a new black 2012 Beetle. I'm sure that everyone can agree that this commercial is trying to show that the new 2012 Beetle is a masculine car.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7t5vG53Has
I agree with everything that has been said in these previous comments, but I'd like to highlight what Brian said: not only is this advertisement excluding 50% of the human population, they are also excluding men who don't fit or identify with the singular stereotype of "manliness" exhibited in the Dr. Pepper TEN commercial. The commercial uses hyper-masculinized figures in a hyper-masculine action movie setting, driving dune buggies, punching snakes, and taking down bad guys with effortless ease. Basically, they are catering to Indiana Jones-wannabes. But what about all the men who don't identify as wanting to be Indiana Jones? Is there some middle ground, non-misogynistic low-calorie soft drink for them?
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with Shirin because I think this advertisement is the perfect example of all the things that are advertisements should avoid doing. What this ad does it basically solidify that gender separations and stereotypes. It's basically trying to get men to feel comfortable with a beverage that should really be for women because women should "always" watch their weight, there's an immediate assumption. I think was is further upsetting to me is that these commercials affect points of view in society.
ReplyDeleteYour example of the Beetle car is great, I have heard a lot of men who are my friends refer to that car as "feminine" which is completely and utterly ridiculous. They have gotten those ideas because that is the meaning and value that the own company attempts to give the car itself.
No one should determine whether or not a car is feminine or masculine they are objects that anyone should be able to use and suggesting that they are designed for one gender or another only solidifies sexism in advertisements and consequently society.
This commercial more than offensive is disappointing because what concerns me the most are the real social effects it brings upon social divisions and opinions. It further helps regress any progress against sexual equality.
I've seen this commercial a lot and the others ones they put out. It's funny because they highlight every stereotype men have. Most men probably don't identify with the commercial and that's the point. I think advertising today is more about creating an emotional response and this ad does just that. In now way does the ad encourage me to buy the product, but because how stereotypical it is I'll remember the commercial when I see a Dr. Pepper can. With that being said, when do commercials become too offensive?
ReplyDeleteWow, looks like this ad campaign really pushes some buttons! I'm surprised that no women said that they were determined to try the drink now, after being told it's "not for them" (a defiant gesture that would actually be a desirable side effect, for the advertisers). Others also indicated that the commercials seem to deliberately portray the extreme, perhaps to provoke laughter, more so than actual identification (very good points already made about how the campaign compensates for the perceived emasculating connotations of "diet" drinks).
ReplyDelete