When Sick, it's Okay to Look Sick...Really.

We are all used to seeing the same images used by advertisers. Images that maintain a common trend of portraying women as housewives or sex objects - and it is evident that sex sells. Since this approach has worked for decades, why fix what's not broken, right? Wrong as it ultimately contributes to ill-formed perceptions of what a woman is or should be and, in turn, negatively affects society at its core. From a very young age, we are inundated with images that showcase the unrealistic image of a woman. This construct of a woman is typically blond with perfect skin complexion, long-legged, and exaggeratedly fit body, to mention a few components. This sends the wrong message to young girls. As Jean Kilbourne writes, “a woman is conditioned to view her face as a mask and her body as an object, as things separate from and more important than her real self, constantly in need of alteration, improvement, and disguise” (Kilbourne 122). A recent advertising campaign critiques and pokes fun at mainstream advertising and its use of the ideal female figure.

A Halls print ad campaign for cough medicine is a good indicator of what a successful advertisement can be without conforming to the use of an idealized woman. It simply contradicts the idealized image of a woman by showcasing average looking, everyday women. A typical advertisement would, for instance, place a highly-stylized and sexy housewife with a strategically placed handkerchief in her gently-manicured hands to illustrate the point of how taking a certain brand’s medicine could make you feel when sick. That’s hardly the reality and we all know it. No one looks good when sick, unless they cover it with tons of make-up and put on designer clothes – right? Furthermore, the image of a woman portrayed in this ad is one of an assertive nature with a confident personality. By not showcasing the woman in the ad in a skin-tight dress or a beach bikini, it allows the “reality” of a woman to be showcased to the mass public. This against the grain, sort of speak, approach is a brilliant one. It does not add the extra pressure to look good on the outside when feeling bad or sick on the inside. It depicts the simple point that it is okay to look the way you look, not some idealized image composed of thousands of dollars.

In a perfect world, the advertising industry would learn a lesson from this Halls advertising campaign and adapt a system of sending out more positive images to reflect on its audience accordingly. However, this approach does not necessarily guarantee profit. Therefore, it is up to the mass public to take initiative and critique and reject these barbaric techniques. This can be done through emphasizing the importance of education. The targeted, naïve youth needs to be aware of the potential dangers that advertising images can lead to. Education leads to critical analysis which opens the door for positive alternatives, just like the Halls print advertising campaign.

Image URL: http://adsoftheworld.com/taxonomy/brand/halls