As a self-proclaimed media buff, I love analyzing the commercials during the Super Bowl. I judge them on originality, humor, celebrity-appeal and brand recognition. Throughout the years major advertisers have had to continually raise the bar on their commercials in order to capitalize on the hype that surrounds all of our undivided attentions during the big game. This year, some of the most memorable ads were Volkswagen with the adorable Darth Vader kid, the Pepsi Max commercials, a few intense movie trailers, Ozzy with Beiber and, unfortunately, Kim Kardashian.
Everyone knows the old adage that ‘sex sells’ – and to the demise of the otherwise PG tone of Sunday night’s commercials, the Kim Kardashian/Sketchers ad seemed to find a literal interpretation of the motto. In it, Kim was seen scantily clad, in a compromising position with a man, talking about how she won’t need him anymore. Of course in the end we find out the man is her trainer, not a boyfriend – and she won’t need him because she has Sketchers!
According to my aforementioned list – the ad is successful on the surface because well, we are talking about it the next day – so kudos for brand recognition and remembrance. The problem with the ad is - everything it represents in the media. Already, social media is exploding with questions of whether the commercial went too far and the answer is almost unanimously, yes! Adults with the comprehension to question why certain celebrities are famous in the first place can recognize that this commercial was done in poor taste. However, it is the susceptible girls across the world that were watching last night, that I worry about. In this media age, people like Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton are role models for young girls for no apparent reason. Girls see the glitz and glamour and wish they could grow up to be like them. Also, it is extremely important that young girls understand advertising and realize that people like Kim Kardashian are paid to sell these products. Their beauty may only be skin deep and is obtained through good lighting, trainers, personal chefs and editing. Adults understand that Sketchers shoes are not going to make you look like Kim Kardashian, but children must be taught this lesson.
At Girls Inc. we provide these lessons and more through a program called Media Literacy®. We use different activities to teach girls about the media and to watch out for negative influences like gender stereotyping and unhealthy body images. When girls learn these lessons they become more active viewers to the media. They realize that people like Kim Kardashian are not necessarily great role models and that beauty should be defined by the type of person you are, not what you can buy.
