Magazine AD Analysis: Winnie Harlow In Elle UK
The magazine advertisement that I will analyze comes from Elle United Kingdom’s May 2018 issue. Winnie harlow in Gucci is the cover of Elle magazine. Harlow has been a model for many years, but she is also a social activist. Harlow is a model, activist and inspiration. She suffers from Vitiligo, a rare condition of the skin. She was bullied because society did not consider her a beautiful woman. She was so bullied that she quit school and instead went homeschooled. Harlow’s modeling career began because she appeared in “America’s Next Top Model”. Harlow is adamant that people should be themselves. Harlow’s Ted Talk, “How I Define Beauty”, is about her discovery of beauty in all places. My opinion is that the Magazine advertisement also empowers. In this advertisement, we are focusing on terms and ideas that were covered in class. I chose this ad to focus on equality, beautiful, and empowerment.
The definition of equality is to have similar opportunities and treatment. The textbook says, “The identity and body that we project help us experience and therefore know ourselves, our bodies, the world. The ad is a good example of equality because Harlow’s striking skin is on display. Beauty is a set of characteristics that evoke feelings of admiration and pleasure. Miss Representation’ is a film that highlights how media portrays women in influential and authoritative positions. The film explains the role media plays in how women and girls are portrayed. According to the textbook, “the media is one of most popular means by which beauty ideals have been circulated”. How can people change it? Jennifer Siebel Newsom has starred in the film “Miss Representation”. Newson, in Miss Representation says, “To be woman meant striving to achieve an unattainable beauty ideal”. In Miss Representation, Newson states that empowerment is the process by which a woman becomes more assertive and confident. Harlow is empowered by the magazine’s advertisement, which encourages her to be herself.
This ad promotes change, because in the past beauty was portrayed as thin models with great hair and makeup. But this ad says that beauty is being yourself and believing in your abilities. Harlow aims to give everyone the same chances, no matters what their looks are. Media are concerned with how people appear because men are thought to only desire a specific type of women. Men prefer young, slim women. Now, more and more people understand that you don’t need to change yourself to be loved by someone. Everyone is perfect in their own way. No one needs to change to make someone else happy. Jean Kilbourne has been a filmmaker, writer, and speaker since “Miss Representation”. Kilbourne makes an interesting statement in her documentary. Kilbourne said in Miss Representation: “No matter what women achieve, what they do, their worth is determined by the way they appear.” This goes along with the message that Kilbourne is trying to convey to viewers in Miss Representation, namely, that women who hold positions of authority are valued solely on their looks, regardless of what else they have achieved.
This advertisement is beneficial to the people, as it encourages them to embrace their differences and believe in themselves. The company benefits from this ad because it makes money off the issues. This ad is also beneficial to the makeup artist and photographer because they receive payment for the success of the ad. The ad is a disservice to other media companies and magazines because it’s the first one to make money. The other magazines and companies are forced to compete to create the latest look. I do not think that the image promotes any sexist stereotypes, nor does it encourage homophobic or racist ones. This is because there is not much skin on display, but what skin there may be, appears to be natural. This ad doesn’t subvert stereotypes because it’s not trying to undermine authority. I don’t believe that the magazine intended to resist stereotypes by changing its look.
The advertisement doesn’t inspire me to give money, because these companies are still far from being worthy of people’s hard-earned money. This is because I believe that if you give money to companies, they won’t use it for change. They will instead spend it on another idea or problem. These companies use the money people give them to make their business better, not for change. For me, companies should promote change for reasons other than money. The ads have been innovative, and I think they will continue to evolve. I would like to have more ads such as these.
Harlow, like many others who have begun a change in their lives, is no exception. This is a great thing for me because so many people have commented on my hair, clothing and size. I was unlike many kids who cared what they looked like and how they dressed. It didn’t matter what I wore as I liked who I was. This media change is slow, yet I believe it will affect not just the public but also businesses. I think that if there were more female leaders, the stereotypes of beauty might change. Future generations shouldn’t be subjected to the same stereotypes about beauty and ideals as their predecessors.
