Below you will find an advertisement from Venus Gillette, specifically targeting women and portraying one of the characteristics entrenched within North American gender-binaries — that women shave their legs a specific way and need a specific tool, different than that of men’s, in order to reach certain standards of beauty. I have analyzed the initial advertisement and have spent ample time compiling a new one that portrays what I believe to be a more gender-inclusive advertisement based on reality. In addition, you can find my justification for these changes and the final version of my ‘jammed advertisement’.

Original Advertisement:

Advertisement Analysis:

When you first come across Gillette’s advertisement, “You’re a woman. Shave like one”, as a viewer, you are immediately drawn to three things: first, the apparent naked legs of a woman, second, the words “woman” and “shave” (as they are bold and larger font than the other words) and finally, the logo for the company who created the ad, Gillette. With a textbox in the lower corner reading that this razor is similar to other razors, except that it is “designed for the way a woman shaves”, the advertisement is appealing to two audiences: those who desire to be held to standards associated with the gender ‘women’, and those who expect their partners to adhere to the social standards that society holds for this particular gender. However, many individual around the world have different methods, needs or desires to shave, and most people conduct daily activities uniquely, so it does not appear to be a legitimate claim, as there are no characteristics or methodologies that individuals comply with or practice that lack individuality entirely and/or are strictly gender-specific. I believe that this advertisement is a form of cultural norms being imposed onto a society at large, segregating genders into groups, making individuals who identify as female feel as though their external appearance is important, and further; giving individuals reference points for inflicting violent expectations onto the individuals surrounding them. I believe that advertisements that are established for women should encompass all individuals who self-identify with that particular gender and beyond this, they should be intended to lift moral and change social stigma and stereotypes. As such, I will be assessing the problem with binary gender thinking within society, and enforced gender norms and/or expectations and their impact.

Jammed Version:

Explanation of Jammed Advertisement:

Shaving is a popular trend and is a necessity for some people. It is for this reason that I found editing this particular advertisement difficult, despite my initial discomfort with it and passion for change. Throughout the process of editing, I manipulated the picture entirely, first adding hair to the legs in the ad, to attempt to make the photo appear more ‘gender-fluid’, then I worked on changing the background entirely and adding a quote regarding acceptance and ‘embracing’ our true selves. Throughou editing, I realized that the effect of my message was not being articulated. It is for this reason that I decided to change the text and leave the background the same. By adding different gender options other than women, my goal was to make the viewer think critically about what it means to “have no gender” or even more broadly, to consider the potentials of gender fluidity. I believe that the initial advertisement was designed to influence women to adhere to specific gender norms and, in a photo with no visible gender (despite cultural norms in North American societies whereby this patron can be assumed to be a woman, because stereotypically, only women shave their legs). I decided to abolish the “Venus Gillette” logo because of it’s gender specificity, as this brand is sold in retail stores as a ‘woman’s brand’ and instead, I replaced it with the word ‘maybe’. I believe that this word can be associated with a certain power-dynamic, whereby the possibilities of words that follow are endless, such as: maybe we have the power to change cultural norms and projections of gender norms and standards. Beyond this, I decided to include topical hashtags within my advertisement, to expand these initiatives beyond one advertisement, using the power and popularity of social media to advocate for this specific change. Additionally, by including information regarding capitalism and profit desire, I was hoping to invoke more thought in the viewer regarding the power of marketing and the reality surrounding gender-specific appearance alteration. I believe that by encouraging individuals to think critically about certain aspects of this cultural jam advertisement, change can begin to take place. Shaving one’s face, legs, genital area, stomach, back, arms, or any other part of the body should not be controlled by societal manipulation, regardless of how powerful these manipulation mechanisms have proved to be in the past. Cultural responses to gender expectations, such as women shaving their legs or the common conception that doing so has the potential to make men ‘less manly’ have no basis in reality. I wanted to empower viewers to feel free to treat their body the way that they want to, regardless of societal pressures and cultural norms, but understand the difficulty and segregation that can come from this; it is for this reason that the basis of my advertisement is to encourage thought and to begin changing perceptions, because only when personal perceptions change can societal perceptions be altered.
To see pictures closer, click here: Shave like One !