I like to read ads. Not ones like a kitchen gadget that promises to do everything but cook your meal, but the more personal ads. Every morning as I sit down at my computer and open my email accounts, I look for more personal ads. The ads tell me about current hopes, fears, and trends. I happen to think that ads are a good barometer for what’s going on in society. When I was much younger, there used to be ads about “BO.” [BO=body odor] They were ads for antiperspirants and deodorants. I guess we were wetter and stinker back then! There are some types of ads that have never disappeared. The two that come to mind are ads about money-saving it, spending it, making it. The second type that comes to mind are the relationship ads – finding a partner, keeping a partner, and so on.
Let’s look at the second type of ads. One of the ads in the past that startled me were directed at women and how-to put-on weight. The ads might be something like this – nobody wants to marry a skinny woman. The ads today are the opposite. Another example of direct opposites are ads from the Flapper Era. They were ads for “minimizers.” They were something to make your bust look smaller. Today everyone from plastic surgeons to bra makers are advertising that they have a way to give you a bigger bustline. I am sure there must be dozen or more like these examples.
I am starting to see a shift in what I call “the mating dance ads.” These are ads that offer you advice on how to attract and keep a member of the opposite sex. I think it’s because my email address only uses my initials just as this blog only uses my initials, I get ads directed at both men and women. I find it interesting that ads for both sexes address the single issue of attraction. For men, it is how to reduce the number of rejections you get when approaching women. For women, it is how to reduce the “damage” of rejecting a man while making it clear you are open to approaches. The ads imply if you reject a man, he will tell his friends and they will not approach you.
The ads use current trends in society to boost their believability. Ads directed at females will point out the Me Too movement makes men much more cautious in approaching females. Ads directed at males will point out the “more liberated” women will likely reject a man quite loudly in front of his peers. The ads are offering ways to overcome these problems for both men and women. I think the ads are so very effective at raising concerns even a very confident man or woman might begin to worry. I have only read the ads, so I can’t say whether the products are effective in curing the anxiety they provoke in the reader. From everything I’ve seen, they are certainly very effective ads at provoking anxiety in both sexes.
I wonder if you have gotten any of these ads and chanced to read them. If you have, I wonder if you could share your views via the “Contact page” to maintain your privacy or by the comment section down below if that’s not a concern of yours.
o
