Gender Roles In Coca Cola Advertising

had ended, so it is interesting to see how Coca Cola attempts to unify the world after years of conflict. However, despite the diversity of gender and races in an exotic international setting, the atmosphere - like the slogan - implies the stereotype of elite sophistication and wealth. (Coca Cola advertisements through the decades ) Observing the many Coca Cola advertisements one notices that gender and role models play an important role in the selling techniques: there are gender and role model stereotypes. Many components in the Coca Cola selling techniques recall feelings of sex appeal, and are very attractive images and due to these techniques Coca Cola was able to boost consumption. The first example is the shape of the Coca

Even nowadays, most advertisements involve sexually exposed women, as it is known that “sex sells”. Scientists claim they have discovered exactly why sexual references impel us to buy. Researchers discovered that seeing attractive people excites the areas of the brain which persuade us into buying, Not coincidentally, the colors of Coca Cola are black, red and white, white being her skin tone. There is no color in the poster other than the three colors, making one visualize and associate the woman with Coca

One must remember that African-Americans did not gain full civil rights till the year of 1968. Not portraying images of African-Americans in those years was reflecting the mainstream American feeling of not allowing them into high society, depriving them of high social class and the American Dream. This was the case until 1955, when Coca Cola hired and used an African American model to publicize Coca Cola. Her name was Mary Alexander, in (fig.5)

The start of portraying African American people in American advertisements would have been a huge step for the African American civil rights movement, where they were trying to gain equal civil rights as Americans. It would also imply that Coca Cola was trying to reach out to the African American society, portraying equality between the different cultures. It was a great advertising strategy, as they were able to receive support and therefore demand from the African American community, which beforehand may not have liked the product so much. Observing the poster the