In my culture jam assignment, I attempt to uncover the real meaning of this Tom Ford advertisement that clearly objectifies women. I try to bring to light the underlying messages that this advertisement is conveying to the male population, and also its effect on the female population.
Original Advertisement
Tom Ford, the luxury brand created in 2005 by Tom Ford has been known for their sexist advertisements that place women in positions that make them to become objects of fantasy and desire. In 2007 a collection of ads were released by Tom Ford that marketed fragrances to men. All of the images included men’s cologne that either covered or were surrounded by female genitalia. This particular advertisement from Tom Ford features a pair of women’s breasts covered by her hands with the cologne held in between her breasts. The advertisement declares its product is specifically “for men”, which also leads to the assumption that the woman’s breasts in the photo are also “for men”. The fact that the fragrance is in between the breasts gives the product a sexual vibe and immediately draws the attention of any audience. It objectifies the woman in that she is nothing but a pair of breasts who doesn’t even have a face and whose sole purpose is to hold up this fragrance for a man. The is a very obvious marketing tool that especially attracts men. This advertisement spreads a message to a man that only if he buys this fragrance will he be able to obtain a woman like the model in the ad
For women who view this poster, it also gives them an unrealistic image of what ones breasts should look like. The breasts in the photo are completely symmetrical, large, and full which discourages women who may not look like that. Also, the red nail polish on the woman’s fingernails make a statement that most likely act as a symbol for someone who is daring, sexy, or bold. The colour of the woman’s skin also demonstrates the preference of men for white women. Moreover, if you view most of Tom Ford’s advertisements, a majority of the models are all white men and women which gives off the message that Tom Ford is only meant for the “superior” white race.
Jammed Advertisement
In my jamming philosophy of the Tom Ford men’s fragrance advertisement, I decided to reveal the sexist nature clearly demonstrated by the poster. I replaced the words “for men” in the first line with “objectifying women since 2006,” because after a brief search on the history of the Tom Ford brand, I found out that the brand has been known for their objectification of women in their ads. Moreover, Tom Ford himself has acknowledged his objectification of women, but chooses to exploit women only because of how normalized society is to nude women. Which shows the inequality in the advertisement and the Tom Ford brand.
The original line “the first fragrance for men from Tom Ford” has been replaced by the line “the only fragrance that will get you this type of lady”. I chose that line to convey the message that although the item for sale is the fragrance, the advertisement clearly is also ‘selling’ the women’s breasts. Also, the original poster implies the increased likelihood of getting a woman similar to the one in the photo by purchasing the cologne.The goal I had with the new photo captions is to make viewers aware that having a pair of breasts in a product advertisement is to objectify women and exploit them for money. I hope that the altered captions on the poster make more obvious the vulgar nature of the Tom Ford advertisement and make viewers realize that women’s breasts do not belong in an advertisement for men’s fragrance because it is completely irrelevant. I also wanted to shed light on the brand as a whole and its trend of objectifying women.
References:
Akbareian, E. (2015, March 23). Tom Ford on objectifying women. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/tom-ford-on-feminism-and-objectifying-women-10127589.html
Sites-tomford-Site. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tomford.com/about