Tiparillo Original Advertisement
Tiparillo cigars were mostly recognized for having a strong brand advertising in the 1960s. Their most well-known ads were under their famous “Should a gentleman offer a Tiparillo to a lady?” campaign. The target segment regarding this specific campaign was young women that were hesitant about the acceptance of cigars, which is rather odd given that the ad itself oversexualizes the female body and was printed in a magazine targeted to mature men (Stanford). This ad does not only present the issue of sexism but also, sexual objectification, and many more. Being a product whose main demographic was adult men attempting to make a breakthrough to the women segment, Tiparillo tied to appeal to the women’s movement by making all of the women in their ads professionals while still sexualizing them in order to sell a product that has nothing to do with sexuality (Pages, 2008).
Not only does this ad turn a strong woman with a successful career into a sex object but it also portrays women in a way that does not credit their occupations properly. The advertisement is very suggestive not only with its images but with its text. In this particular ad, the woman is recognized as a dental hygienist. However, the ad also highlights that she is not the doctor, perpetuating the idea of gender roles that suggests women can work but not hold positions as high as those of men. Furthermore, the ad invalidates a woman’s professionalism by portraying them as individuals who would normally be seen as feeble and easily swayed by the offer of a Tiparillo (Stanford).
The text itself is very suggestive, meaning to portray the thought process of a man that just entered the dentist’s office and was met with an attractive woman. The text proceeds to make superficial assumptions about women’s reactions to being offered a Tiparillo, even proceeding to use the word “kooky” as something a woman should desire to be; thus enforcing demands and influencing women to base their personalities on what they think men would like. This portrays that the ideal woman should be someone who is not too serious about their job, and a little bit ditzy. It also refers to the idea that this offer might end up in a “home visit” in the near future, suggesting that smoking Tiparillo cigars will improve your chances with women. Lastly, the advertisement itself displays the product by strategically placing it near the breasts of the woman pictured, providing the viewer with a subliminal association between female nudity and the cigarette brand (Pages, 2008).
My Jammed Advertisement
Originally there were a variety of social messages hidden within this ad, I pointed out the issues by highlighting the subliminal notes and making them blatantly clear while approaching the ad in a satirical manner. The satirical approach allows for the jammed version of the ad to display all the issues that could have gone unseen. I kept the original image and tweaked the text in a way that directly states the messages that were hidden in the original text, to begin with. The question raised by this ad is: “Is it necessary to oversexualize the female body to sell products with a predominantly male audience?” This calls to attention that not only is this product enjoyed by a mostly male demographic but also, that the main method of promotion is through the over-sexualization of the female body. The question itself brings to light the reality behind the image that is presented to the public given that such is not the traditional attire of a dental hygienist, it is rather one that utilizes the exposure of flesh as a marketing technique.
I kept the format of the original text but substituted some words to bring to light the issues that were present before. It points out the gender role critic by mentioning that “this ad makes it clear that I’m not the dentist but his assistant” making the audience take note of how she does not hold the position of power. Furthermore, my jammed version makes note of the man’s first impression of the woman and proceeds to bring into question why the man’s first instinct was to over-sexualize the female body.
The offer of the cigar itself carries a lot of weight this time because now the audience can sense how the difference between the original cigar and the menthol one is stark. He considers offering the more “delicate” cigar to the woman just because of her gender. Moreover, this makes you questions whether the man was describing the cigar or the woman he was presented within the text. Lastly, the jammed ad critiques the purpose and sexual intent behind the offer of the cigars. The jammed version of the ad exposes how the ultimate goal of the original ad was to primarily attract men and also manipulate women into believing that their brand of cigar might make them more attractive to men.
Works Cited
Pages, The Society. “‘Should a Gentleman Offer a Tiparillo…?” – Sociological Images.” Sociological Images Should a Gentleman Offer a Tiparillo Comments, thesocietypages.org/socimages/2008/10/10/should-a-gentleman-offer-a-tiparillo-if-hes-a-sexist-ass-then-yes/.
Stanford. Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising, tobacco.stanford.edu/tobacco_main/images_mari.php?token2=fm_mari_st655.php&token1=fm_mari_ing14493.php&theme_file=fm_mari_mt070.php&theme_name=Cigars and Pipes Advertising Themes&subtheme_name=Cigarillos.