Abstract Where advertising is considered, the roles that men and women play in it, and how they feel about the ways they are portrayed in it, have changed over time. The paper discusses Carol Moog's article "Media Mirrors" in which the main focus of advertising centers around the Maidenform bra company. Maidenform has been around for a long time, and consequently has had to change its advertising strategy several times to keep up with changes in women's opinions and beliefs. From the point of view of Moog, women went from seeing Maidenform commercials as being interesting and empowering to see them as embarrassing. The paper also gives its authors personal opinion on Moog's article and shows that she disagrees with much that has been written.
From the Paper "The problem with the men in the Maidenform commercials of later years is that they completely ignore the woman in the advertisement. Not only are they not interested in her physical attributes, but they do not appear interested in what she has to do or say either. This did not appeal to many women, because they felt that men were ignoring them despite the fact that they were flaunting themselves. Exposing oneself, whether physically or emotionally, is usually a difficult and stressful time. There are people in this world that enjoy it, but they are not the majority."
Abstract The secret behind the success of Victoria's Secret seems to be its brand recognition, its excellent quality and its ability to identify a correct market. This paper studies the company's past and future promotion campaigns and illustrates its target markets and budgets.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Target Market
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
Budget
Summary
Works Cited
From the Paper "The key strength of Victoria's Secret is brand recognition and brand loyalty. It's massive advertising campaigns have been largely successful due to the brand equity of the product. Victoria's Secret products make their customers feel sexy and good about themselves.
The upcoming launch of the new swimsuit line will mark the entrance of Victoria's Secret into a new area. It has had great success with the launch of its bra lines and was a leader in the introduction of thong underwear. Thong underwear was a risky product line, especially considering more conservative customers. However, sales have increased every year since its introduction. The key to this success was due to the already established customer loyalty. "
Abstract Carol Moog's article, "Media Mirrors" deals with the changing advertisements of Maidenfrom lingerie. The paper discusses Moog's point that women went from seeing Maidenform commercials as being interesting and empowering to seeing them as embarrassing. The author of the paper argues against Moog's opinion and challenges the idea that the type of underwear one wears determines whether one believes in oneself or not. The paper also examines the role of men in the advertisements.
From the Paper "From personal experience and observation, I don't agree with the author of the article. I think that Moog portrays women as not really knowing what they want, and as the kind of people who are extensively swayed by advertising campaigns. Granted, it is the goal of advertisers to sway people to buy their product. However, Moog's article almost sounds as though she does not feel that most women are intelligent enough to make choices in their life based on things that are more important than what type of bra they are wearing. Since the article is written by a woman, it surprises me that the article would give off this kind of impression. However, that is the very definite feeling that I received from it."
Abstract This paper discusses how there is much division among women and feminists alike concerning the issue of pornography. It contends that if one believes in the freedom of women, then one would have to agree, if only in principle, that posing for "Playboy" or participating in the adult cinema genre, is as feminist as burning a bra. It concludes that it is feminist to pose for "Playboy" and how guidance should be given to young females regarding their sexuality.
From the Paper "In the 1990 anthology "Sexual Liberals and the Attack on Feminism," editor Dorchen Leidholdt claims that feminists who believe women make their own choices about pornography are spreading "a felicitous lie," and Shelia Jeffreys argues in the same work that "pro-sex" feminists are "eroticizing dominance and subordination" (McElroy pp). Wendy Stock accuses free speech feminists of identifying with their oppressors, "like concentration camp prisoners with their jailers," and Andrea Dworkin accuses them of running a "sex protection racket" and maintains that no one who defends pornography can be a feminist (McElroy pp)."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the Maidenform Company, a company offering a functional yet attractive line of lingerie to female consumers. The paper provides a brief overview of the company's history and discusses the company's position today. The paper then focuses primarily on how the Maidenform Company is known for its cutting edge advertising, and its marketing strategies and techniques.
From the Paper "Today, Maidenform has a more classic and female-focused strategy, rather than the edgy and feminist image of its past. On the "Investor Relations" section of its website: "Our company, Maidenform Brands, Inc., is a global intimate apparel company with a portfolio of established and well-known brands, top-selling products and an iconic heritage.... We sell our products through multiple distribution channels." ("Investor Relations," 2006, Maidenform Official Website) Unlike Victoria's Secret bras, one can buy Maidenform bras at discount stores as well as at specialized retailers. It is the bra of every woman--or every matron, perhaps."
Abstract This paper discusses items from three big designer names and compares the population statistics of the countries where the items are manufactured to those of the United States. Although all three are attempting to improve their image, the author exposes the environmental, social and human cost at which these items are being manufactured. The paper concludes that taking advantage of lower costs often translates into human rights and labor rights violations, and environmental degradation.
Outline:
The United States
Item 1: Banana Republic (monogram) Pants
Item 2: Victoria's Secret Bra Item 3: Adidas Running Shoes
Conclusion
From the Paper "The label lists the country of manufacture of the cotton pants as Cambodia. According to Responsible Shopper, the Gap's clothing is "manufactured with genetically engineered and pesticide laden cotton." Moreover, "in more than 40 Gap-contracted factories in Cambodia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Lesotho, El Salvador and Mexico," interviews with workers revealed "abusive" conditions ("Responsible Shopper"). Cambodia became the center of attention for the Gap and its subsidiaries like the Banana Republic line of clothing. Responsible Shopper notes that in 2003, "a Gap worker was shot to death during a worker protest in Cambodia." Not only that, "Cambodian police opened fire to disperse more than 1,000 garment workers who were protesting working conditions and pay." Doing business in countries that treat their citizens like they do in Cambodia is more than unethical; it is akin to being an accomplice."
