Show and Tell -- Cause and Effect
I brought in a magazine ad from InStyle. The ad contains a very strange message to publicize May as Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. I was initially drawn to the actress they chose as their poster girl, Rachel Bilson who plays Summer on The OC, because her character is a senior in high school who is currently in a sexual relationship with her boyfriend. This is also the only role I have ever seen her in and I don't think teens would have seen her in anything else either so my first reaction is to think the ad is playing off her character's popularity and ignoring that she is having sex. But, maybe she is a virgin in real life, maybe she had a teen pregnancy? I don't know why they chose her or why she decided to be in the ad, but if the only place most people have seen her is in The OC, what do they expect that will do for their campaign?
The message states, "Be Sexy, It Doesn't Mean you Have to Have Sex." I feel this message could be interpreted a few ways by readers. I thought they might be saying for teenage girls to be confident, be proud of yourself, don't give in just because you feel you have to, etc. But it also could say you can advertise yourself but you don't have deliver which is not very positive message, let alone one I think is effective in publicizing Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month.
The cause and effect identified in this ad is obviously sex among teenagers leads to teen pregnancies. If the ad encourages teens not to have sex than they won't get pregnant. But are teens reading InStyle? Or are their Mom's reading InStyle? Who is the audience? How does that affect the message and the interpretation of it?
The message states, "Be Sexy, It Doesn't Mean you Have to Have Sex." I feel this message could be interpreted a few ways by readers. I thought they might be saying for teenage girls to be confident, be proud of yourself, don't give in just because you feel you have to, etc. But it also could say you can advertise yourself but you don't have deliver which is not very positive message, let alone one I think is effective in publicizing Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month.
The cause and effect identified in this ad is obviously sex among teenagers leads to teen pregnancies. If the ad encourages teens not to have sex than they won't get pregnant. But are teens reading InStyle? Or are their Mom's reading InStyle? Who is the audience? How does that affect the message and the interpretation of it?
posted by caroserey @ 6:05 AM
1 Comments:
At 8:04 AM,
Simply Lauren. said…
I think it must be aimed at mothers or something b/c I don't know that many "teens" that read instyle. It's a late college/20-somethings sort of mag. Maybe it's just to raise awareness or to let the mom's understand that they can promote sexuality w/out forcing the sex issue. Maybe it's about self-esteem. It is sort of out of place though. What sort of mom is going to be like---"hey honey, remember you can be sexy w/out putting out ok?" You know? Just my thoughts. I like Rachel Bilson though!
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