This is a web advertisement promoting SkinnyMint. The product being advertised is a tea, specifically for promoting health and weight loss. The tea contains laxative herbs to “cleanse” the body. Ads for companies like SkinnyMint are prevalent in 2019, especially on Instagram. Instagram models and “influencers” can often be seen posing with these products, and claiming that they are a miracle cure and beauty enhancer. In fact, these influencers have been paid large sums of money to promote these companies, and “influence” their young fans to buy them.
The imagery of the thin, young, beautiful model suggests that drinking this tea will help consumers achieve similar results. The phrase “kickstart your summer goals” suggests that the main priority for young women should be to lose weight and look beautiful in time for summer. The use of the words “detox” and “cleansing” are to reinforce the idea to women that fat on their bodies is unpleasant and gross, and that beauty comes from the body being “clean” and free of impurities, such as food.
The elements of design and use of vibrant, pastel colors promote a vibe of positivity, femininity, and fun. The female model is wearing flirty, moderately revealing clothing, which showcase the confidence she possesses. The model is smiling brightly, likely because she is having a great time being slim and beautiful, and it’s implied that it is because of this product. This strategic use of youthful colors and a beautiful, slim model promote the idea that summer is fun when you are skinny, young, and beautiful.
This ad is clearly targeted toward young females, likely teenagers or very young women, but especially those who are interested in losing weight. Further to this, it is aimed at anyone who would like to feel like they are beautiful or worthy enough to wear summer clothing like the model is wearing. The idea is that you must be skinny in order to fully enjoy summer. These types of ads are extremely harmful, as they teach girls and young women that their main priority should be beauty, and that they should be willing to try any means necessary to attain it—even weight loss teas which, ultimately, encourage girls to starve themselves.
This purpose of my adjam is to criticize SkinnyMint and similar products. My message is that ads for weight loss products typically promote unhealthy and absurd body weight ideals and beauty standards. These types of flawless images attached to products promoting health and weight loss can lead to obsessions, poor body image, and eating disorders in women who consume these products or view these advertisements.
The statement “bullsh*t calling” is to draw attention to the ridiculous messages that women are inundated with regarding their bodies and appearances. The purpose of calling the product “an insecurity and low self-esteem enhancer pack” is that these types of products are bogus and do not actually give the desired results, and only lead to further obsessions and low-self-esteem. The statistic that 1.1 million Canadians have an eating disorder demonstrates how prevalent this issue is, and how many people fall for these types of messages. The ad suggests consumers get help for their own eating disorders instead of buying SkinnyMint teas. Being so desperate to lose weight that you are hoping a tea will be a magic cure, is delusional and likely part of an eating disorder. It is also delusional to believe a tea will “detox” your body and purify it of parts you believe are unattractive.
It is important for women and young girls to think critically when viewing these types of ads. Though these bright and girlish advertisements appear to promote a positive and friendly message, the real message being promoted is that being beautiful requires pain, sacrifice, starvation, self-loathing and buying lots of useless products out of desperation. It is absolutely disgusting that people and companies are engineering, profiting off of, and continually perpetuating these harmful ideals. It’s bullish*t and it needs to stop.