The False Mirror: Representation of Women in Indian Advertising

We all know how regular it is to see some sort of attractive woman in an advertisement whether it is on TV or a billboard. In fact, I’m sure that we are surprised if there isn’t an attractive woman endorsing it.

Studio 33 after researching the work of Jean Killbourne's "Killing Us Softly" decided that a similar comparison should be done of India. After all, India is one of the quickest growing markets, and with more than a billion consumers. Women are more essential to advertising than ever before.

However, the reasons are not as shallow as the fact that potentially half of the consumers are women. Studio 33 goes into the real reason why strong independent women are shown selling pressure cookers and water purifiers, the answer might not be what you expected

It is a common adage through that ‘sex sells’. Does it hold true in a consumer market where we chastise girls from wearing non-traditional clothing but then enjoy ads of women in bathing suits? Have you got an opinion on the ‘sex sells’ notion? Or have you seen another example as to where women are shown one why but the meaning is something else entirely?