Author Archives: samantha heung wei yip

Culture Jam

Original Ad

Analysis of the Ad

In the ad that I’ve chosen today, the company Popchips uses several marketing strategies to attract the attention of consumers. Two main attractions of the ad are the presence of a celebrity spokesmodel, Katy Perry, and also the bolded pun at the top. The purpose of the ad is to catch the customer’s attention with their phrase “nothing fake about ‘em” since it is a reference commonly used when talking about women who have undergone plastic surgery for their breasts. It is evident that this is the “joke” they are trying to make because two bags of chips are strategically placed where Katy’s breasts are. Choosing to do this alludes to something more “provocative” which is their hope in getting people interested in what they’re selling. The problem that I see with this ad is that it hypersexualizes women’s body parts, now to the point of advertising something as simple as food. Hypersexualization of women in our society is not new, but the application of it on such neutral things like chips just shows how prevalent it has become. I feel that the marketers have objectified Katy and have taken advantage of the image she has associated with her. I say this because Katy is known for having a larger bust, and so I feel that they are essentially making a pun, with her body as the punchline. I feel that the way they are advertising is unnecessary, in the way that it further sexualizes women’s bodies and is completely unrelated to their product. Another thing they do is associate “fake” with a negative connotation, as they quote Katy not being “into phonies.” This is problematic with their context being about women’s bodies because it perpetuates the shame in women for making changes to their own bodies. Women are shamed for being “fake” if they decide to get plastic surgery, and this ad further demonizes women for their own life decisions.

Jammed Ad

Jammed Ad Explanation

In my jammed ad, I made changes so that the focus of the ad was redirected to the actual product, the Popchips, and the talents of Katy Perry rather than the objectification of her body. I added “Because they’re JUST CHIPS” to highlight the true purpose of the ad—to sell chips! Incorporating that line was an attempt to de-sexualize the ad, alongside with covering Katy’s breasts to prevent reference to them. I also removed Katy’s quote about not liking “phonies” and replaced it with her talents, stating that she is more than just her breasts. This is in contrast with the original ad that revolves around a joke regarding her large bust. My jammed ad hopes to readjust the focus to the actual product being sold, which reveals what absurd strategies companies are willing to use to grab our attention. In our consumer society, we are exposed to hundreds of ads, and now companies feel they need to one-up another to get our attention. Though companies may not try to be offensive, their motives stem from wanting to attract customers, leading to more drastic advertising techniques. In this case, it was sexualizing women with an unrelated product. Women have always been sexualized, and now the media does so more than ever. Many times, women’s bodies merely act as carriers for the product, and all other talents they have are pushed aside. My jammed ad hopes to reveal the ways people market their products, but in the process end up marketing the woman as well. It is a problem that we treat women as if they are objects that look pretty, their body parts just items to be viewed. Problematic advertisements like this fail to take into account the toxic ideology their ads perpetuate, all for a 2 second shock factor. The ideas we present on TV, billboards, and more need to be more considerate, or the next generation of girls raised are going to believe they are nothing more than their bodies.