Muscular and Sexy: Our thoughts are being shaped by marketing companies

Advertisements, I enjoy watching them. Sometimes I like to watch ads more than the episode on TV. Same goes on social media. Ads are usually promoted/sponsored on social media. While browsing through your timeline, you might see a single ad couple of times. Recently I watched an ad from Gymshark on twitter promoting gym culture as a new year resolution. The 10 second video clip had both male and female models working on weights. 

I found that the clip was misleading and confirming the stereotype among people. It was more focused on projecting males as muscular men with muscles and veins; and females as cute faces with breasts. Both male and female models appeared twice in the 10 sec video clip (first male, then female and repeat). Lets see what the ad is trying to show us by looking at the first and last frames of model appearances (entire ad is embedded at the end). 

Appearance 1: First frame of male and female models Camera focus is on the entire gym for male model whereas for female model the focus is mainly on her upper body and gym is out of focus. 

Pic 1: First frame of male and female models in first-time appearance in video

Appearance 1: Last frames of male and female modelsFor male model, camera pans with the entire body in frame and gym area in focus. For female model, camera stays focused on her upper body with the rest of the gym area out of focus. 

Pic 2: Last frame of male and female models in first-time appearance in video

Appearance 2: First frames of male and female modelsSecond appearance emphasizes on muscles and veins of the male model. Female model is shown in the entire frame without any background gym equipment in sight in comparison to the male model in first frame of his first appearance (pic 1). 

Pic 3: First frame of male and female models in second-time appearance in video

Appearance 2: Last frame of male and female modelsCamera stays focused on the veins and muscles of male model whereas for the female it pans back to her upper and front sides. 

Pic 4: Last frame of male and female models in second-time appearance in video

Marketing affects our thoughts irrespective of if it being done in a right or wrong manner. We are fighting for equal rights for both men and women and essentially no one gender is less or more than the other. It is confusing for me to digest an advertisement that tries to sell their product on the assumption that men command more substance and women in general exist only for their looks. Plus I have never seen any female gym-goer with the impractical hairstyle show in the ad. If we support such marketing, discrimination based on gender will never end. Lets represent everyone equally.

Watch the complete ad here.

This is your time to make your change 💪#Gymshark66 is coming, are you up to the challenge? 👀 pic.twitter.com/TtEHG7PKHY

— Gymshark (@Gymshark) December 19, 2018