Sadly I haven’t been able to find a version of this advert online but I will attempt to describe it.*
Young, white (of course) male walking down the street. He has unusually large eyes. Every time a young, conventionally attractive woman walks past his eyes follow her. However, this particular young man is insecure in his role as objectifier not, as you might hope, because he realises women are people not property but *gasp!* he’s sweaty! One eye follows the women walking past him while the other swivels, chameleon-like, to his dreadful sweaty underarms. Cut to him cavorting with a young woman on the beach who looks away, dissapointed, as his eyes swivel to his sweat patches. Then, this beleagured young man hits upon a solution while he’s staring at a young woman on a bus. Sure For Men antiperspirant! The final shot shows him walking down the street, both eyes following two women who walk towards him. Now his eyes can follow them past him, flicking into the back of his head before snapping back, pupils pointing forward, accompanied by a smug smile.
As with many male anti-perspirant adverts Sure uses female objectification to sell this gunk to male viewers. I always wonder if these ads actually work. If randy, poorly social skilled young men see these ads and think “Yes! Finally! A way to ensure BOTH my eyes and 100% of my attention are available to stare at women because after all, that’s what they’re for!”?
Believe it or not there are some interesting points in the subtext of this ad. Women, of course, never sweat. Sweat patches on a woman are shameful nasty things that must be punished with anti perspirant, deoderant and perfume. However sweat on men has, up until recently, been acceptable. A sign of manly activity (even if it is only a red-faced jog to the bus) rather than stinky shame. What this advert does is add to the growing pressure on men to look perfect, seen in the growth of men’s moisturiser ads and the exultation of David Beckham as groomed male extraordinaire. It seems that as pressure on women to be size zero perfectionists the pressure on men increases too. The advertisers will seemingly stop at nothing to destroy everyone’s self esteem and thus ensure we consume their snake oil.
The reaction of the woman on the beach is interesting too – is she annoyed by his sweat or annoyed that he’s letting it bother him? I’m inclined to think the latter seeing as the whole point of the ad is to encourage men to be sweat patch free and thus concentrate fully on ogling young women.
Because, you know, that’s what we’re for – men’s titillation.
*Due to my own absentmindedness I believed this advert was for ‘Sure’ anti perspirant. In fact, it’s Lynx ‘Sharp Focus’ and the nauseating ad is here
