Sugupoolte representatsioon Eesti Ekspressi reklaamipiltidel aastal 2002
Date
2005
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Description
The purpose of this study is to find out what kind of characterist are being used in the advertisement
of one of the biggest weekly magazines in Estonia. The goal was to find out how many
advertisements are using a human character. And more specificly what kind of characters are being
used. Hypothesis was that women would be the dominating character group in the advertisements
and that generally the dominating group would be young and beautiful (by looks above the
average).
The theoretical and methodological base of the reseach is on Roland Barthes’ (1974/1994)
semiology and on the criterias of former studies made in Finland (Määttä 1991), Sweden (1989) and
Norvay (1970). All published advertisements of the year 2002 was counted and they were analysed
using a combination of contentanalysis (qualitative part of the study) ja quantitative study. In latter
the advertisements were categorised and then summarised by the characters sex.
In qualitative part the ads were valued and summarised by sex (male/female), looks (stylish/not
stylish), age (child/young/adult/old) and by their activity (active/passive). The content of the
advertisements were analysed by connotative aspects (the obvious message) and the denotative
assosiations they avoke. Since the contentanalysis is based on the interpretations made by the
researcher, the findings can be somewhat subjective. That can not be avoided. However, since more
or less the very same methods are being used by several researchers, the methods can be valued as
reliable. It was a facilitating aspect, that the researcher as well as the research are ’products’ of the
same culture. The advertisements, as we know, are mainly using the cultural aspects and known
mythology in their nonverbal communication.
The goal of the reseach was to find out on what amount human characters are being used in
Estonian advertisements, but also would one or the other sex dominate on advertisement pictures.
The quantitative part of the study was to show what kind of advertisements would more frequently
use women, what on the other hand would prefer men.
The findings were some what surprising. All and all the 51 numbers of Eesti Ekspress had almost
1800 ads, about 300 of which contained a human character. A bit surprising was that men were the
dominant sex. Less surprising was that on women, the dominant age group was young women.
Adult or elderly women were hardly ever used. On men, the dominant age group were the adult
men. Also elderly men (with their gray hair) were used on some amount. By looks the beautiful
(stylish) characters were prefered, ugly or clearly unattractive women were not used in
advertisements at all. Less attractive male characters, on the other hand, were being used.
The largest group of male dominant advertisements were the car (and car assosiated) ads, female
characters were dominant on clothes and shopping center ads. Female body (or some parts of it)
were being used in a context, that would be preferred sexualising or explotating the female sex. A
womans naked body image were used to advertise coffee, casinos, alcohol and milk.
The research showed that the traditional role expectations were clearly seen on the advertisement
pictures.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), bakalaureusetööd