Jean Kilbourne Young American Advertisements

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Jean Kilbourne, a leading expert on advertising, states, “the average American is exposed to 3,000 advertisements daily” (90). This estimate was from 1999, therefore the number of advertisements one may be exposed to daily has probably increased dramatically because of the advancement of technology. Today, people are exposed to ads on the internet, social media, and television. Advertising is everywhere and has become our world. Ads today have changed how people view themselves by showing how you should look and act. One ad that stood out was a product from the company Jorg Gray, supposedly attempting to sell a watch, but this was not the only thing the ad was trying to sell. This ad, and ads like it, focus on an intimidating male actor who…show more content…
The watch is presented out front and appears to be extremely expensive due to its style and sophistication. This watch is presented as being the perfect watch. It contains numerous features that one may not even need, but the fact that they are present makes one feel that this would be the better watch to buy. No one wants to purchase a watch for the average person, they want one that will make them stand out, a watch that they are proud of wearing. This is shown with the male actor that plays in the ad. The ad presents a vivid white background, highlighting the strong, attractive, male actor that is down in the push-up position. For the sake of this ad, the name of the actor can be Ben. He makes direct eye contact with the viewer, maintains a serious facial expression, and keeps all of his muscles flexed. He has shaggy, sweaty hair indicating hard work and determination. Overall, Ben becomes the depiction of a “perfect man.” Everything he possess, such as his pointy nose and facial hair, is what everyone thinks of when they think of a true man. With the use of these graphics, the viewer may not even see the watch on his wrist. Viewers become so distracted by the actor that they forget what the ad is actually trying to…show more content…
What does this statement mean? The first thing that may come to mind is the amount of time left in one’s life. Once again, the intimidation factor comes into play. The ad causes stress to the audience by questioning if they have spent their time wisely, or if they have much of it left. The average man will likely feel terrible that he is not like Ben, but feels hope that he can still define his time. This could bring forth a change, making one feel that the time they have remaining can be used wisely and can continue to help them improve on who they are as a person. It also makes the viewer sit back for a moment and wonder why they are in the house, reading a magazine about fitness, rather than being outside and improving who they are. It brings over a sense of humiliation and anxiety because Ben has the appearance that makes men feel as if they cannot do much to improve, Ben is simply better. Along with the words “define your time,” the side of the ad is talking about a way to enter and win a watch, and the words “to win” are emphasized largely. Obviously this gives some hope to those paging through that they may win a free watch, but looking deeper into the way it is presented, the words correlate with the ad. Ben is a hardworking and athletic man who will not settle for second place. He is there to win, and so should anyone looking into the product. It is for the people who are

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