Tide analysis

we analysed the 1950's advert for Tide detergent which is renowned for its portrayal of women and the sexist nature of the advert we linked the advert with feminist theory 

Tide 1950’s advert – analysis

Layout and Design: The advert is constructed with a large image and a large headline the image is to the left and there is a lot of text it has many pictures of the same woman

Central image:  the central image is of a 1950’s house wife hugging a box of tide. The woman is stereotypically dressed which communicates that the product is designed for 1950’s white American housewives that want to seem to be better in they’re role

Typography and Graphics: the advert uses standard 1950’s font used in most adverts on the day. The main points of the advert are in a red colour rather than the black text for the rest of it. The main title is also in a sort of wavy diagonal which is more eye catching to people rather than a straight line of text.

Visual codes:  The advert its self is created using bright and ‘happy’ colours which promote the feeling that if you buy the product you will be happy. Coloured font makes words stand out to emphasise the “Cleanest” “Brightest” and “Whitest” wash also highlights the word “Tide” in red to allow you to remember the name of the brand

Colour: The colour scheme of the advert is yellow, red, black and white. The box of the product is red which suggest why some of the font is also red. The coloured font highlights that it is the brightest whitest and cleanest. The advert is a hard sell advert as it promotes all of the things the detergent does and emphasises it more.

Print technical codes: It has cartoon reels on the sides edited in to help drill in the message of the product doing the job and making your washing clean. The advert is lit brightly to emphasise that the product will make your clothes bright and white.

Language and Mode of address: The advert uses the alliteration ‘What women want’ to show that the product is for women and that all the women should get the product. Uses explanation marks a lot to drill the point home.

Attitude and beliefs: It implies that women should be at home washing and cleaning and that buying the product will allow you to have the cleanest clothes in the world and be better than everyone else so the women can please their husband.

Association: the comic strip may relate to how the tv advert would look  

Representation: The women in the tide commercial are being given the stereotypical job of a housewife cleaner and forcing the tide product to a woman central picture. Leisbet van Zoonan states that historical bias has made us believe that women should be the housewife kind and stay at home cleaning which is evident in this advert. Historically the 1950’s were a very controversial time for the female gender during the beginning of the civil rights movement nowadays you can look back at the adverts from these days and 90% of which will be predominantly sexist however back in the 1950’s this was seen as normal and wouldn’t have been seen as controversially as today. If this advert was published nowadays there would be a lot of argument about it as it is portraying a very sexist view of women however in the 1950’s this was seen as a normal thing to see around and wasn’t as controversial.