Assignment 1 - Organisational Communications.
This article critically explores and evaluates the type of PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Family pets) advertising marketing communications, concentrating mainly using one of the major criticisms that PETA uses numerous sexual images of women that perpetuate female objectification. By way of a close study of the campaign: 'Go Vegetarian', this article will evaluate PETA's campaigns involving the sexualisation of women's systems from a feminist perspective. Along the way, the essay will demonstrate a knowledge of a variety of communications, ideas and principles for the theory that PETA relies on sexism to enhance pet issues, and take the interest of the viewer. The essay begins by utilizing a feminist research to explore the idea of viral marketing in one of PETA's recent adverts. This section will analyse the way the use of viral marketing has created a direct approach from business to consumer allowing consumers to market the service themselves (Smith, Coyle, Lightfoot, & Scott, 2007). The primary focus this is actually the irony of how an organization which emphasises a public justice agenda, has subjected another cultural justice cause. It then reviews the contrasting methodology of how PETA invokes, to some extent, a new wave of communal change where women are escaping the oppression of patriarchy and having a solid sense of empowerment. This area of the essay will need over a semiotic method of show how codes and framework are central in producing interpretation (Barthes, 1977). In checking out these issues, the essay endorses a broadly feminist standpoint on gender, although it also looks for to highlight a number of potential justifications and opposing arguments, it particulary focuses on the notion that PETA commodifies and exploits womens physiques to "sell' creature rights.
PETA is famously known because of its flirtatious nudity in advertising to get their message of anti-animal cruelty across. Their creative but controversial advertising communications has caused a string of negative debates over the years that have become a fundamental element of their brand. Lately, PETA had taken a stab at viral advertising and produced a stunning Super Bowl ad called 'Veggie Love', which NBC rejected because of its provocative nature. This advertising shows bustiers models seductively froilicking with fruit and vegetables with a tagline expressing 'Studies show Vegetarians have better love-making'. Superbowl advertisements are seen by large numbers including children which PETA didn't take into consideration.
Although this advertisement is explicit with the discursive meaning it is trying to convey, it depends on the theme of love-making to promote and "sell" vegetarianism. It could be said that the ladies in this short 30-second-clip are objectified and put through the male gaze. Mulvey (1975) suggests '. . . women are concurrently looked at and exhibited, with the look of them coded for strong visible and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness'. However the ad is conveying a strong concept that eating meats is wrong, it is clear that ladies are presented as sexual things of male fantasy and desire. However, there is no clear recommendation that PETA aspires their advertising communications specifically to the male audience. Female visitors are also compelled to consider the viewpoint of the central figure (male), participating also in the pleasure of men taking a look at women (Mulvey, 1975). The exploitation that animals undergo as a result of humans makes this advertisements seem incorrect and unjust. It can be said that the utilization of sexualized images of women is forgetting the horrific treatment that animals incur and this the true communication of oppression has been neglected and replaced to make a excitement about advertising strategies.
Ironically, it could be said that PETA's banned viral campaign did the trick mostly to their advantages. Viral marketing is utilized to encourage consumers or individuals to pass on a message to others, creating the potential for development in the message's vulnerability and impact (Rushkoff, 1994). It can be said that people better obtain viral marketing than traditional alternative party marketing because it can be an implied agreement from a pal. Due to the fact that viral marketing is highly reliant of consumers transferring on a note, marketers are actually even more worried in developing a advertising campaign that is controversial or unethical (Kilby, 2005). For the marketing strategy to work, a excitement should be created from consumer-to-consumer. This PETA ad is of a provocative nature to initiate the 'ripple result' which ultimately benefits the organization and its stakeholders. Minus the negative criticism round the campaign, whether prepared or unplanned, PETA's viral marketing strategy is a good one in terms of the promotion it received. The fact that the advertisement was prohibited from television but can still be observed in the public sphere of the internet creates more of a "buzz" about PETA as an organization whilst permitting them to promote at a low cost. Consequently, considering both standpoints, PETA has used its advertising marketing communications within a proper way however, this advertisements does not gain in highlighting the true cause.
On the other hand, although it can be said that PETA uses its advertising marketing communications to place across a good message whilst all together exploiting women, there exists one less controversial ad in particular that can be seen as a paradox to the viral advertisements and a great many other PETA campaigns. The 'We can do it' plan, taken and tweaked from the 1940's advertisement for the Westinghouse Company, by J. Howard Miller, draws the thought of female liberation and empowerment.
This ad highlights the Vegetarianism advertising campaign. This advertisement shows a, attractive woman, Playboy model Laura Anderson, posing with a 'Popeye' position, wearing a red and white polka dot headband and a blue denim cropped shirt. Her eyes are directed directly into the camera zoom lens and her oral cavity is agape. Her lip area are red and her abdominal is exposed. Immediately above everything is the written wording: 'We can do it'. The advertisement is evidently an version of Miller's painting famously associated with ethnical icon of the United Status, Rosie the Riveter. Rosie the Riveter symbolized the American woman that performed in the factories during World Conflict II and we can easily see that the '30's and '40's era is still quite suggestive in this PETA adveritsement. During this time period of their time, women were considered submissive to men and were necessary to stay at home and fend for the family while the male works as the breadwinner. Polka dot headbands are old-fashioned, reminiscient of any housewife or working woman. The girl and the key signifiers connotate feminine liberation, escaping the supression of patriarchy and taking on the female empowerment agenda. The confident position is comparable to how a man would present and the fact that is a woman creates the theory that women are somewhat equal to men. The elements can connate the strong self-employed woman who means what she thinks is right, in this case, becoming a vegetarian. Only a few visual areas of this advertisement have been altered from the initial. The actual fact that the woman's shirt is cropped in the PETA advertisement still creates the aspect of objectification. It could be said that the girl in the PETA advertisements has been 'sexed up' and is also at the mercy of the male gaze. This ad is complex and witty in a manner that it presents feminine liberation creating the illusion or battle on the beef industry however spoofs it at the same time. Although the girl is clearly representing a sense of freedom, the red lipstick, red polka dot headband and the cropped shirt connotates a sense of seduction and sexuality. The actual fact that PETA chose a Playboy model also to signify their organization can be questioned
