The rapid emergence of the middle class in England during the nineteenth century affected many aspects of Victorian society. New social ideals required alterations to what had previously been perceived as correct values, and this era has become infamous for its repression. The new middle classes were especially insecure as to what constituted appropriate behaviour, and so sought guidance from authority figures. Middle class women found this guidance in magazines such as publisher Samuel Beeton's monthly magazine, Myra's Journal of Dress and Fashion. Advice was provided in Myras editorial column, Spinnings in Town, written by Myra Browne. The counsel was given through clever advertorial plugs written into the monthly column. Social ideals were also communicated in illustrated advertisements via their imagery.<p>Advertisements for commercially manufactured soap were especially significant in recommending proper middle class behaviours and responsibilities. Victorian soap advertisements and recommendations not only sold the product to the consumer, they also created an idea of what constituted middle class behaviour and sold that to the willing and eager female consumers. Beauty was a main nonmaterial commodity sold via soap advertisements to the middle classes, and quickly became integral to the creation and maintenance of the middle class female identity. Despite their intentions, acceptance of the concepts of appropriate and actual deportment were not always consistent. Even the purveyors themselves could become susceptible to censure due to the whims of the marketplace, ill health, or awkward social compromises. Such was the case with the house that Beeton built.

Television is a medium through which dominant cultural ideologies about health and illness circulate. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertisements, such as those for antidepressants, communicate a distinct image of illness and intervention, and have the potential to shape how we understand these experiences. Though there has been much debate on whether such advertising should be permitted, as well as explorations of their impact, there is an absence of qualitative research on how the public interacts with and makes meaning of these ads. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which the public interacts with the messages related to depression and its treatment in DTC antidepressant ads shown on television. Six semi-structured focus groups of 1-2 hours, with 4-6 female participants per group were conducted. Within each group, 2-3 DTC antidepressant ads were viewed, followed by a discussion after each viewing. Focusing on the function of language, discourse analysis was the methodology chosen to explore how the women took up and negotiated the messages within the ads. I show how the women problematized the presentation of depression and its treatment within the ads, often positioning the ads as falling short due to various oversimplifications of depression and treatment. More specifically, they evidenced a reclaiming of normal and depression, as well as a caution in engaging with and staking claims to these categories. This research provides a more in-depth understanding as to how these ads can impact women, who are over-represented in those who are prescribed antidepressants, and how women can take on and challenge the messages in these ads.

This study examines character traits in United States presidential campaign advertisements. It was predicted that Republican and Democratic trait content would be similar in appeal advertisements but would differ in attack and contrast advertisements. Additionally, it was expected that the traits most frequently conveyed in primary election advertisements would differ from those most frequently employed in general election advertisements. The conveyance of traits in conjunction with issues was examined. The hypotheses and research questions were tested on televised campaign ads from the 2008 and 2012 primary and general elections. Overall, both parties appeal to and attack specific character traits with similar frequencies. The traits used in primary election advertisements were much more positive than the traits used in general election advertisements. Campaigns combine issue content with specific traits in their ads. The findings of this study answer questions about how candidates build and shape their images through televised political advertisements.

Background: In order for marketers, brands and companies to be successful in the advertising environment the stress for well developed content and messages is a necessity. To have a competitive advantage it is all about the attention a advertisements gain by the audience and the public eye. Storytelling advertising is a marketing tool that during the past years have been highly recognized due to its effective and powerful ways to make market changes and branding. Stories can mediate various heightened emotions that could trigger and evoke emotional responses with the audience. Since companies all over the world spend hundreds of billions each year on marketing, it is important for marketing managers to understand how the advertisements affect the consumers in order for them to make decisions that are cost efficient and affect the consumers in the way they are intended.  However, this research focus on the effect of two specific emotions when applied to video storytelling advertisements. Humoristic and dramatic. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to extend the understanding of the effect of video storytelling advertisements on consumers’ attitude towards the brand. Methodology: A quantitative research was applied to collect the data using a online questionnaire in order to further analyze and describe the relationship between the different variables. Conclusion: The findings of this research suggests that video advertisements positively influence the consumers´attitude towards the brand. It also suggest that that the attitude towards humorous advertisement not only is affected by the affective and cognitive dimensions, it is also affected by the demographics of the viewer. This indicates that humor is perceived differently by different individuals which needs to be taken into consideration when it comes to marketing communication. Also, findings indicate that the attitude towards the brand is affected positively if the advertisement is seen as a story by the viewer, which shows that storytelling is an efficient approach to use within marketing communication.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar a interaÃÃo entre produtor/anunciante e leitor/consumidor por meio de categorias de anÃlise propostas por estudos da linguagem visual, em exemplares de gÃneros anÃncios. Para isso, seguimos a proposta teÃrico-metodolÃgica de Kress; van Leeuwen (2006) que, ao estruturarem uma gramÃtica para a anÃlise de imagens, apontam quatro princÃpios referentes à interaÃÃo interpessoal nos textos nÃo-verbais: o contato (pedido, interpelaÃÃo ou oferta), a distÃncia social (social, pessoal, Ãntimo), a atitude (objetividade ou subjetividade) e a modalidade (valor de verdade). Para a verificaÃÃo da interaÃÃo segundo as categorias, analisamos uma amostra composta por 40 exemplares de gÃneros anÃncios e apÃs esta anÃlise verificamos que a aplicabilidade das categorias de anÃlise propostas pelos autores se mostrou produtiva e recorrente em todos os exemplares analisados. Constatamos que, como propÃe a GramÃtica do Design Visual, com a utilizaÃÃo dos passos definidos pelo modelo teÃrico-metodolÃgico para construir uma imagem hà uma maior facilidade em atingir a interaÃÃo pretendida com o leitor. ConcluÃmos, portanto, que a construÃÃo e compreensÃo do texto nÃo-verbal nÃo acontece simplesmente de maneira intuitiva, pois existem caminhos, como a utilizaÃÃo do olhar, enquadramento e perspectiva adequados, que seguidos pelo produtor e pelo leitor do texto, proporcionam a interaÃÃo pretendida. / This research aims to analyze the interaction between producer/advertiser and reader/consumer through categories of analysis proposed by studies of visual language in examplaries of genres advertisements. For this, we follow the Kress, van Leeuwen (2006) theoretical-methodological proposal which when structuring a grammar for image analysis, suggest four principles related to interpersonal interaction in non-verbal texts: contact (request, summons or supply ), social distance (social, personal, intimate), attitude (objectivity or subjectivity) and mode (truth value). To verify the interaction according to the categories, we analyzed a sample of 40 examplaries of genres advertisements and after this analysis we found that the applicability of the categories of analysis proposed by the authors showed up productive and recurrent in all examplaries analyzed. We noted that, as proposed by the Grammar of Visual Design, using the steps defined by the theoretical-methodological model to build an image there is a greater ease in achieving the desired interaction with the reader. We therefore conclude that the construction and understanding of non-verbal text does not simply happen intuitively, because there are ways, such as using the look, framing and perspective appropriate, followed by the producer and by the reader of the text, which provide the interaction required .

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Menstruation can be defined as the cyclic shedding of the uterine wall in response to the production of hormones from the ovaries. Although menstruation is experienced as both a positive and negative phenomenon, the dominant view remains a negative one. Menstruation has been stigmatised across most cultures, and culturally constructed as something that needs to be hidden, and hygienically managed, and a source of shame and embarrassment. It is also seen as a dirty process and a source of discomfort, illness and emotional instability. Dominant cultural constructions of menstruation in advertisements convey the message that through the purchase of particular menstrual products, women will be “protected”, “fresh”, and thus the cultural beliefs of a hygiene crisis, concealment and secrecy are perpetuated. This study explored isi-Xhosa speaking women’s experiences and meaning-making related to the portrayal of menstruation and menstrual products in television advertisements. Active audience theory, a branch of media theory, formed the theoretical framework for this study. This research adopted a qualitative approach, and made use of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore participants’ personal experiences. Three focus groups were conducted in English, consisting of 5 participants per focus group. Research began with two focus groups until saturation was reached. Participants were shown two television advertisements of two major South African companies (Kotex and Always) who sell menstrual products, as a means of stimulating discussion. The findings indicated that there were major discrepancies between what was portrayed in menstrual product advertisements and the reality of participants’ experiences; there was an exaggerated emphasis on checking behaviours; menstrual product advertisements avoided displaying the discomfort associated with menstruation; advertisements heightened the fear around leaking and emphasised hygiene and remaining clean. The positive finding to emerge was participants’ view that menstrual product advertisements served as a means of education, in the context where they were often misinformed about menstruation or provided with minimal or no information. This study extended on a previous study conducted at a different South African university, and contributed to the literature in this area within the South African context. All ethical guidelines stipulated by the University of the Western Cape were strictly adhered to.

This thesis focuses on how masculinity and femininity are constructed in alcohol advertisements in the print form, specifically in For Him Magazine (FHM) and Gentlemen’s Quarterly (GQ) . Alcohol advertisements address the reader in a way that sells the lifestyle that is associated with the product. Within the lifestyle depicted in the advertisement, there may also be an identity and a specific gender identity that the reader may be encouraged to incorporate in order to achieve the lifestyle associated with the advertised product. Advertising in general has often been implicated in constructing masculinity, and in particular, femininity in narrow or restricted ways. South African advertising has been found to depict women as passive sex objects and men as strong, intelligent and as the dominant gender. The mass media and advertising use and extend upon existing societal ‘norms’ and discourses regarding the construction of masculinity and femininity by sending these discourses or constructions back into society in the form of advertising. A discourse analysis was employed to investigate to what extent advertising has used gender based societal discourses as well as what dominant structures or portrayals of gender appear in South African alcohol advertising. By using the qualitative method of discourse analysis as well as a social constructionist paradigm, several discourses were identified. These included the discourses of patriarchy, violence as a masculine quality, men being unemotional and independent, women’s bodies as sexual objects, male companionship, a heterosexual norm, an anti-hegemonic masculinity and a discourse of glamorous heterosexuality. The results of the analysis discussed how in alcohol advertising, women are still constructed in a limiting and sometimes sexual manner whereas men are constructed in a more variable way. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

Class of 2008 Abstract / Objectives: A follow-up analysis of academic and training requirements found in advertisements for pharmacy management, assistant director, and clinical pharmacy director positions. Methods: Advertisements appearing in the American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy (AJHP) were analyzed for academic and training criteria that were either preferred or required for pharmacy management, assistant director, or clinical pharmacy director positions. Included advertisements were for pertinent positions found in AJHP between January 2002 and December 2007. Some of the requirements or preferences that appeared in the advertisements that were analyzed included the type of pharmacy or other degree, postgraduate training including residencies and/or fellowships, board certification, and experience qualifications. Results: There was a total of 426 advertisements that met inclusion criteria. Results were listed in percentages of advertisements either requiring or preferring a certain qualification. A significant portion of ads sought applicants who had completed a residency (24% - pharmacy manager/director, 50% - clinical director, 47% - assistant/associate manager). Preferences and requirements of the PharmD or MS degree qualification decreased in percent from a previous study. However there was an increase in the relative number of ads pertaining to the MBA preference (9%, n=27). Conclusions: Many of the results from this study were similar to previous studies which looked at job qualifications in pharmacy manager and clinical directors. It remains evident that education, training, and experience play a major role in meeting the qualifications associated with obtaining a job as a pharmacy manager, clinical director, or associate director.

My aim is to design a research program that emphasizes inclusivity through empiricism rather than anecdotes and benevolent sexism. To accomplish this goal, I review and build on the work assessing the influence of fertility in the female consumer experience (FCE). Fertility, especially menstruation, has been used anecdotally for too long. This research was designed to address the gap in knowledge around the way in which women perceive advertisements. More specifically, the role fertility plays in the process women go through when assessing advertisements and offerings. Does a woman's desire to seek variety become reduced when she sees a rival endorsing the offering? If this is the case, then there is a need to find a mediating variable that can overcome this effect. Internal locus of control, the level a person feels they are in control of the outcomes in their lives, was selected as a starting point. Having a high internal LOC should buffer a person's perceptions of another as a threat. A cross-sectional design from a convenience sample of university students was used to address a series of five research questions: 1) Does fertility status influence locus of control, 2) Does fertility status influence rival assessment, 3) Does locus of control mediate rival assessment, 4) Does rival assessment influence advertisement assessment and purchase intent, and 5) Does external locus of control have more than a single factor? The results from the multiple one-way ANOVAs and linear regressions were not significant, but it was promising given the limitations of the study. Namely, the rate of unusable data combined with the rate of birth control use limited the final analyses to a sample of 62 cases. Additional considerations and future research directions are outlined in chapter 5.

Women have been portrayed in advertising in stereotypical roles for years. Typical stereotypes include the nurturing mother or the alluring seductress. Since the social climate and the roles of females have evolved through the years, the appropriate portrayal of women in today’s media has become debatable. Findings from previous advertising research studies indicate that women are generally not depicted in powerful roles. This may limit the perceptions of women as it does not reflect their abilities and positions of power that they hold in real life. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the roles portrayed by women in magazine advertisements and television commercials in South Africa. Several secondary research objectives were set including inter alia the incidence of female models in advertisements and commercials, the ethnic representation of women in advertisements and commercials, and the types of products and services advertised using female models. Data were collected from full-page and double-page advertisements appearing in nine consumer magazines as well as commercials broadcasted during prime time on the four free-to-air television channels. The research method used was content analysis, which focused on the visual elements in advertisements and commercials - particularly the female model. The sample included 203 magazine advertisements and 245 television commercials. The results indicated that 55 per cent of magazine advertisements and 40 per cent of television commercials featured women. The findings also indicated various roles portrayed by women. The most prevalent role portrayal in magazine advertisements was that of a physically decorative woman (27%), typified as a woman that symbolises the physical ideal. In television commercials, women were most often depicted as product users, with 25 per cent of the portrayals showing a woman actually using or preparing to use the advertised product. The less prevalent portrayals included career woman, homemaker, mother, mannequin, romantic, sex object, social being, background elements as well as various “other” categories. From the “other” portrayals, the study has also identified new roles that had not been specifically identified in previous studies. The new roles identified in magazines were leisure woman and sportswoman, and in television commercials, customer and spokesperson. The results further revealed that women are used as visual attention-attracting focus points in advertisements across a range of different product or service categories. The product category that most often featured women in both media was personal care products (41% for magazine and 26% for television advertisements). The implications of the study are that South African advertisers need to consider the suitability of the models that are used to attract attention to their advertisements, as well as the fit between the role portrayal and the brand image. From a practical perspective, the study provides insight to advertisers regarding the relevance of female portrayals in advertising. One of the recommendations is that future research should be conducted to determine women’s opinions on female portrayals in advertisements. The study contributes to the available literature on this topic in several ways. Firstly, current female roles in South African magazine and television advertising have been identified. Moreover, a number of new role portrayals were also identified and described. The information gained in the study could be utilised by other researchers as a basis for future studies. / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Marketing Management / DCom / Unrestricted