Product Transference



Of course, gender is not the only thing on the advertising agenda

Surprise, surprise... selling a product is, as well

Yet, in looking past the product, or on the periphery of it, we can not help noticing the huge extent to which color and gender are conflated in the process of selling almost any product
The numerous systematic appearances in the data, suggest that these associations are far from random or coincidental

For instance:

  • Red + woman are joined into a sign that can mean:

    • desire or sexuality, passion or libidinous power

    • nationalism

    • life-force, youth or energy

    And then placed in close proximity to the product for sale

For instance in this beer ad, a red-bloused, self-conscious woman stands in front of a white backdrop trying to sing the product's theme song
The round red dot on the white sheet behind her could easily be read by a Japanese viewer this image can serve as a reference to the national flag
red-topped, bashful woman + national flag behind her

As for other ads, the semiotic recurrence of red with woman and product arises repeatedly...
as in this ad where shampoo is contextualized with the aid of the following sign:
naked woman + red background

And in this ad, for contact lenses...
in which a woman in a flower shop is snowed under by rose petals
solitary woman + vibrant red floral sea

And in this ad...
the opening frame for a car called "Boxy" (get it?)
red-clad, fiesty woman + small peppy car

Two current car ads adopt this compound color coding.

In one, a foreign woman walks around an over-sized red handbag set in the middle of a subway carriage.

She unzips the bag, revealing a compact car within.

The ad ends as she strides off the train with the now-miniaturized red handbag beneath her arm.

In the other ad, a woman stands in front of a car which is parked in her bedroom.

Preening for the camera, as if it was her mirror, she dons and discards an array of clothes, searching for just the right look.

In the end, she settles for a red ensemble, then strides over to the driverfs side door, settles behind the wheel, and rolls out of the room.

On the other side of the equation, as we have seen, the man in black most often provides the contrast or backdrop necessary to enliven a woman and, derivatively, her product.

Consider the dapper, dark-suited foreigner, for instance, who is verily assaulted by the Japanese woman
His role is to serve as silent, compliant accomplice after:
she rips a book from his hands, places a mirror in its stead, and casually applies her red lipstick

Or consider the dark-suited salaryman toiling long into the night alone at his desk.

Along comes his boss who is sporting a cardboard helmet of red flame.

He hands his junior a similar headdress and exhorts: gletfs burn!h.

Together they then consume an energy drink.



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