1. ADV-91 Introduction to Advertising
Stereotypes: Race
ADV-91 Introduction to Advertising

2. to examine the phenomenon of racial stereotyping in advertising
to understand the evolution of negative representations of race and ethnicity
to analyse these concepts through examples and a focused case-study

3. Race is one of the most widely discussed stereotypes in advertising
Through ads we can see how society perceives individuals performing to racial type
Arguments suggest that advertising perpetuates stereotypes and conditions us to accept supposedly predetermined roles

4. Advertising relies on stereotypes in order to relay a message as broadly as possible
You need to ask yourselves:
“is advertising guilty of creating negative representations of race and ethnicity in society, or does it simply mirror socio-political attitudes?”
How does advertising mirror society’s attitudes?
Does advertising have responsibilities in addressing negative representations of race & ethnicity?

5. Stereotypes are generalizations about a group of people whereby we attribute a defined set of characteristics to this group
Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups based on some prior assumptions. Another name for stereotyping is bias.
These classifications can be positive or negative, such as when various nationalities are stereotyped as friendly or unfriendly.

7. The use of racial stereotyping in advertising can be linked to colonialism
Colonialism and cleanliness go hand in hand
Depictions of people of African descent relate to:
master/slave relationships
savage/animalistic/predatory
danger
physical prowess
non-cerebral tendencies

17. stereotyping of this kind is nothing new
propaganda in Nazi Germany used caricature to demonise non-Aryans

19. Aunt Jemima as a brand gave rise to advertising that is claimed to have regressed the social development of black women
She caricatures the maid servant and idealizes plantation life

21. asian men tend to be shown as technologically able
positive image but one that still stereotypes
an image that is not so positive is the one of whiter skin leading to success
Filipino ads for Belo Skin Whitening were banned after oucry

23. Native Americans depicted with reference to savage past

25. Case Study: Benetton

26. Benetton's communication started grabbing attention across the world since 1980s.
Oliviero Toscani was the creative mind behind the controversial ad campaigns that turned Benetton into a household name.
He was Benetton's creative director for 18 years from 1982 to 2000.
During this period he created many notorious ads for the brand.
By the height of his success, Toscani was known for his arrogance and drama, but it's worth noting that his first campaign for Benetton in 1982 used teddy bears to model the children's clothing line.

28. By 1984, Toscani's work had already started turning political with the "All the Colors of the World" campaign that focused on young people of different races wearing the company's clothing.
It was the first time such a multicultural group appeared together in a positive light in an Italian advertising.

30. Further, in 1990, Toscani's 'United Colors of Benetton' campaign launched a ten- year span on symbolic, poignant, jarring and controversial ads.
This time round the company had posters of a priest kissing a nun; a bloody baby fresh from the womb; a black stallion mounting a white mare.

37. angels and devils - never easy with Toscani

39. In 1992, Benetton released a horrifying advertisement showcasing photographer Patrick Robert's image of a Liberian soldier with a kalashnikov, holding a human thigh bone behind his back.
The questionable photograph brought up questions about colonialism, racism and cultural poverty.

41. With Benetton there is always a question over whether the images are truly addressing racist perceptions or whether they are there merely to shock
Were they effective?
They courted controversy but increasingly Benetton lost franchises globally