Essay Relation to My Practical Approach

'Commodity feminism can be defined by how feminist ideas or icons are appropriated for commercial purposes, usually in advertising.'

This source identifies how feminist techniques can be applied employed within advertising for commercial purposes to visualise commodity feminism. This source can be used to justify the application of advertising and ‘femvertising’ techniques to visualise feminism as a commodity. Researching existing ‘femvertising’ campaign’s like ‘Always Like A Girl’ was a good visual reference in designing the Colgate Campaign.  

'Commodity feminism refers to how advertisers attempt to incorporate the cultural power of feminism whilst neutralising or domesticating the force of its social and political critique.'

This source identifies the element of controversy associated with feminism as a topic and the influences of social and political critique as a contributing factor. 

“Commodity feminism leads to ‘feminist fallacy’: that the mass consumption of feminist language and an increase in the representation of feminist ideas in pop culture translates to feminist action in the real world.” (McRobbie, 2008)

This source responds to how feminism is applied within the real world which in translation can include advertisements. Feminist language and representation can construct the cause of an argument which again highlights the controversy surrounding ‘feminism.’   

'Since the introduction of commodity feminism, advertisers have been attempting to tie the emancipation of women to the sale of corporate goods and services.'

Commodity feminism has identified and attempted to free women from a commercial environment and the purpose of selling goods and services. However, just because this has been identified by advertisers does not mean it doesn’t still apply. Improvements have been made in terms of female representation. 

'The rejection of the feminist label but hunger for the benefits of the movement set the stage for advertisers to co-opt feminist ideals and re-package them in a way that could benefit brands and corporations.'

This source references how feminism and feminist ideologies are exploited for commercial purposes. These commercial purposes were applied to re-package brands in beneficial ways to sell a product or service. This also highlights feminist controversy through the rejection of the feminist label. This source confirms the commercial and commodification of feminism used by brands to sell. The practical work is informed by this source and visualises how feminist techniques and ideologies are implemented. Feminist strategies are used by brand’s to benefit their main aim, to sell. 

The practical approach was informed by this reference by employing feminist techniques to a non-feminine gender neutral product, Colgate toothpaste. The practical visually relates to the essay reference, ‘femvertising’ campaign Always Like a Girl. Always focuses on the representation of women by showing women as active rather than static, fragmented or in the background. 

'Commodity feminism insinuates that in order for a woman to be powerful, a core feminist ideal she must first make a purchase and her worth is controlled by making the correct consumer choices.'

This references how commodity feminism relates to the consumer and purchasing decisions. Female empowerment and feminist ideals in advertisements are often used to influence consumer choices. This identifies how brands benefit from sales by using feminism for commercial purposes. 

'In the commodity feminism era women are no longer passive figures of the male gaze. However, woman’s sexuality is almost always portrayed in a way that is meant to be pleasing to men.'

Research identified how women have been poorly represented in advertising as passive figures of the ‘male gaze’. Women are mainly represented in a way that is meant to be pleasing to men. However, the more inclusive, diverse and empowering tone of ‘femvertising’ has begun to tackle this issue. Essentially commodity feminism somewhat tackles the issue of female representation or women appearing as passive figures, inactive or in the background. 

'Instead of employing tactics seen in the 1970s, such as women in delicate positioning, gazing off the camera or in modest clothing. Advertisements instead look to connote independence, participation in work, self-control, freedom, and sexuality. Goldman et al determined the “ideal woman” exuded a sense of freedom, and strength but almost always in a way that is attractive and sexually pleasing to men.'

Referencing theorist Goldman et al identifies how tactics employed in the 1970s need to change. An approach to this included redefining the ‘ideal woman’ and instead visualise strength, empowerment and freedom however, in a way that is still attractive or appealing to men so there is still some way to go. ‘Femvertising’ offers a more contemporary approach to what Goldman determined by focusing on female empowerment but with less focus on being attractive to men instead there is a focus on female empowerment. The more diverse approach of ‘femvertising’ can also be translated into male advertisements and in 2019 Gillette can be seen to reference ‘femvertising’ in their campaign ‘the best a man can get’ which tackles the issue of toxic masculinity. The slogan itself promotes male empowerment. 

'‘Femvertising’ is the beginning of a large-scale societal change in the appreciation of women as consumers, and also as complex and critical members of society.'

This identifies how ‘femvertising’ marks the beginning of societal change. Encouraged by a new appreciation of women as consumers and critical members of society. Identifying women as important consumer makes sense when the essay discusses how women make most of the purchasing decisions in a household, therefore it is even more important to consider women as consumers. The practical response makes a woman the main feature of the advertising campaign, which responds to ‘femvertising’ whilst tackling feminist issues of female representation within mass media. The imagery focuses on a woman’s face in relation to the product the campaign aims to sell being toothpaste. However, the imagery and representation is not sexualised or purely for the purpose of pleasing the male ‘gaze’ which was earlier discussed. Instead the campaign visualises how ‘femvertising’ and feminist techniques can be employed by a brand to promote commodification or their main purpose to sell a product or service.