Tide analysis

Tide is a print based advert which was designed specifically for heavy - duty, machine cleaning. It was launched in 1946 by Procter and Gamble and became the brand leader in America. The advert also came out during the post war where everything started to develop for example technology developed rapidly as domestic machinery were being introduced. These certain products became desirable as they connoted the American dream.

This advert is aimed mainly at women as they are seen responsible for the home, it can be said that it's more for middle class women how were more likely to be housewives back in the 1950's. The product is promoted to those women who spend most of their time at home cleaning or in other words performing their housewife duties. In addition, it gave a light of hope that women's time fulfilling their role would take them less the time they would have spent. Women were known for doing domestic labour which meant no washing machines, no dryers or hoovers. Which is why the consumer boom combined with the development of technology helped women with domestic labour. This also links in with the post war and how America became more wealthier allowing people to spend more money. Endorsement is used as it links back to the target audience and allows positive connotations attached to the product as it portrays the products effectiveness. The use of putting the female hugging the product which is a domestic product/detergent together is to show other women what changes purchasing this product can make. This can link in with the Barthes semiotics theory which covers the ideas of signs and the signification of love, which can be linked back to the product and how the advert portrays the product to women as something that they will love.

Halls theory which supports representations concentrates on things such as stereotypes. Tide uses the stereotype that women belong at home while men go out and work. Women are also shown to be happy as an housewife and fulfilling their cleaning duties. In addition Hall also adds that stereotypes are used when there are inequalities in power for example the difference between men and women during the 1950s. This also backs up the hierarchy of power which states that men are further above women, not including the fact that women's roles had slightly changed during WW2 as women were needed to work in factories instead of staying home. However this did not last much long as women were expected to return to their domesticated roles, while the men were to return back to work after returning from the war. As a result of this Tide uses this to their advantage and explicitly targets women as it states " got what women want " which entices women in wanting what the advert looks like it offers.

Bright primary colours are used as the adverts hard sell which is used to jump out to the audience with positive connotations. The audience is directly addressed as "You" is used frequently which Gerbner's cultivation theory supports. Meaning that the repeated patterns of the representation over a long period of time cultivates particular opinions.