Advertising Analysis: PETA’s Campaigns

Advertising abbreviation PETAs CampaignsAssignment 1 Organisational Communications.This act critically explores and evaluates the nature of PETAs (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) advertising communications, concentrating principally on one of the major criticisms that PETA uses numerous sexual images of women that perpetuate womanish objectification. Through a conclusion examination of the campaign Go Ve agitatearian, this essay will assess PETAs campaigns involving the sexualisation of womens bodies from a feminist perspective. In the process, the essay will demonstrate an understanding of a range of communications, theories and concepts for the stem that PETA relies on sexism to advance animal issues, and fetch the attention of the viewer. The essay begins by using a feminist analysis to explore the theory of viral marketing in one of PETAs recent advertizings. This section will analyse how the use of viral marketing has created a direct set slightly from b usiness to consumer allowing consumers to invoke the service themselves (Smith, Coyle, Lightfoot, Scott, 2007). The main focus here is the caustic remark of how an organization which emphasises a social justice agenda, has subjected another social justice cause. It then reviews the contrasting come out of how PETA invokes, to some extent, a new wave of social change where women be escaping the oppression of patriarchy and having a strong signified of empowerment. This part of the essay will take on a semiotic approach to show how codes and context are central in producing meaning (Barthes, 1977). In exploring these issues, the essay endorses a by and large feminist standpoint on gender, although it also seeks to highlight a number of potential justifications and opposing arguments, it particulary focuses on the notion that PETA commodifies and exploits womens bodies to sell animal rights.PETA is magnificently known for its flirtatious nudity in advertising to get their messag e of anti-animal cruelty across. Their creative but controversial advertising communications has ca utilize a string of veto debates over the years which have become an integral part of their brand. Recently, PETA took a stab at viral advertising and produced a shocking Super Bowl advertizement called Veggie Love, which NBC rejected due to its incitive nature. This ad shows lingerie models seductively froilicking with vegetables with a tagline saying Studies show Vegetarians have better sex. Superbowl commercials are viewed by millions including children which PETA failed to take into consideration.Although this ad is explicit with the discursive message it is trying to convey, it relies on the theme of sex to promote and sell vegetarianism. It put up be give tongue to that the women in this short 30-second-clip are objectified and subjected to the young-begetting(prenominal) gaze. Mulvey (1975) suggests women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance c oded for strong ocular and erotic impact so that they tramp be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness. Although the ad is conveying a strong message that eating meat is wrong, it is clear that women are presented as sexual objects of male fantasy and desire. However, there is no clear suggestion that PETA aims their advertising communications specifically to the male audience. Female viewers are also compelled to take the viewpoint of the central roughage (male), participating also in the pleasure of men looking at women (Mulvey, 1975). The exploitation that animals undergo at the hands of humans makes this advertisement seem inappropriate and unjust. It can be said that the use of sexualized images of women is forgetting the exorbitant treatment that animals incur and that the true message of oppression has been forgotten and replaced to create a buzz or so advertising strategies.Ironically, it can be said that PETAs banned viral campaign worked mostly to their advantage. Viral marketing is used to encourage consumers or individuals to pass on a message to others, creating the potential for expansion in the messages exposure and influence (Rushkoff, 1994). It can be said that audiences better receive viral marketing than handed-down third party marketing because it is an implied approval from a friend. Due to the fact that viral marketing is extremely dependent of consumers passing on a message, marketers are now even more concerned in creating a campaign that is controversial or unethical (Kilby, 2005). For the marketing strategy to work, a buzz has to be created from consumer-to-consumer. This PETA advertisement is of a provocative nature to initiate the ripple effect which ultimately expediencys the organization and its stakeholders. deduction the negative criticism around the campaign, whether planned or unplanned, PETAs viral marketing strategy is a confident(p) one in terms of the publicity it received. The fact that the advertisement was banned from television but can still be seen in the social sphere of the internet creates more of a buzz about PETA as an organization whilst allowing them to promote at a low cost. Consequently, looking at both standpoints, PETA has used its advertising communications here in a strategic way however, this advertisement does not benefit in highlighting the true cause.On the other hand, although it can be said that PETA uses its advertising communications to put across a positive message whilst simultaneously exploiting women, there is one less controversial advertisement in particular that can be viewed as a paradox to the viral advertisement and many other PETA campaigns. The We can do it campaign, taken and adjusted from the 1940s advertisement for the Westinghouse Company, by J. Ho state of ward Miller, draws the idea of female liberation and empowerment.This advertisement highlights the Vegetarianism campaign. This advertisement shows a young, attractive woman, Playboy model Laura And erson, posing with a Popeye stance, wearing a red and white polka dot headband and a blue denim cropped shirt. Her eyeball are directed straight into the camera lens and her mouth is agape. Her lips are red and her stomach is exposed. straight off above everything is the written text We can do it. The ad is clearly an adaptation of Millers painting famously associated with cultural icon of the United Status, Rosie the Riveter. Rosie the Riveter represented the American woman that worked in the factories during World contend II and we can see that the 30s and 40s era is still fairly suggestive in this PETA adveritsement. During this period of time, women were considered teachable to men and were required to stay at home and fend for the family while the male acts as the breadwinner. trip the light fantastic dot headbands are old fashioned, reminiscient of a housewife or working woman. The woman and the key signifiers connotate female liberation, escaping the supression of patria rchy and taking on the female empowerment agenda. The confident stance is similar to how a male would pose and the fact that this is a woman creates the idea that women are somewhat equal to men. The elements can blood-related the strong independent woman who stands for what she thinks is right, in this case, becoming a vegetarian. Only a few visual aspects of this advertisement have been altered from the original. The fact that the womans shirt is cropped in the PETA ad still creates the element of objectification. It can be said that the woman in the PETA advertisement has been sexed up and is subject to the male gaze. This advertisement is complex and witty in a way that it presents female liberation creating the illusion or war on the meat industry however spoofs it at the same time. Although the woman is clearly representing a sense of freedom, the red lipstick, red polka dot headband and the cropped shirt connotates a sense of seduction and sexuality. The fact that PETA chose a Playboy model also to represent their organization can also be questioned