Choose two magazines, one targeted towards men and one targeted toward women (you can check out the media kit to see who the target market is if you are in doubt). Randomly pick out 20 ads from the women's magazine and 20 ads from the men's magazine. Develop a spreadsheet with the following information.
1. Brand
2. Product category being advertised
3. Advertising message, theme or appeal. What product benefit is being focused on in the ad? In other words, what advertising appeal is being used? (Some examples would be physiological benefits, fear, sex, love, belonging, safety, power, prestige, self actualization, romance, mastery, self esteem, etc.) Focus on bid themes, not exactly what the ad is saying.
Be sure to start off with an introduction discussing the context of your ads (le: what magazines they were from) and explaining the goal of your research. Then answer the following questions using all of the data you have collected (remember to use subheadings).
1. What general trends do you notice in the way advertisers approach women versus men? Give specific examples. Are some product categories more often advertised to women? To men?
2. What are the three dominant appeals and themes when advertising to women? What are three dominant appeal g and themes when advertising to advertising to men?
3. Are sex appeals to target men? Are sex appeals used to target women? Compare and contrast HOW sex appeals are used for each gender.
4. Do the different ways in which men and women acquire products have an effect on the advertisement to each gender? Give specific examples.
5. What other trends do you perceive in the difference between ads targeting women versus those targeting men? What are the similarities used in advertising to both men and women?
In examining the above trends that you've seen what does this tell you about our society today in terms of gender roles? Give specific examples. Explain how your mice of magazines may have influenced your results.