Similarities Between Tipalet And Virginia Slims

Feminism and sexism have played a crucial role in the evolvement of advertising, and have heavily influenced the different approaches companies use to market their products to men or to women. Tipalet and Virginia Slims, two cigarette companies, introduced multilayered cigarette advertisements in the 1970s. At first glance, these advertisements are clearly different. In fact, Virginia Slims is assertively trying to pull away from the thinking behind the Tipalet ad. Yet, if one looks more closely, there is a glaring similarity- the use of a woman to sell the product. This similarity reveals the primary difference between these advertisements: the distinctly separate roles the two women play. This prompts one to question what purpose these female models play in both of the advertisements. Through the use of close visual reading and comparative analysis, I suggest that Tipalet and Virginia Slims are both trying to sell the consumer the woman they will “receive” when he or she smokes their cigarette
Virginia Slims seizes on these emotions in their cigarette advertisement, clearly marketing their product to women. There are no men in the ad, and they go so far as to “put down” men by describing men’s cigarettes as “fat.” The Virginia Slims ad is sleek and modern looking; there isn’t much to crowd the image- only the woman, the cigarette boxes, and the two groups of words. All these components are arranged very symmetrically: the women equals the space and height of the cigarette boxes and bottom words, while words run centered across the top. These clean aesthetics have a more feminine appeal. In addition, the model’s clothing is very girlish. It is both floral and flouncy, accentuating her womanly waist with the big skirt. The wording of this ad provides the clearest proof of the target market, stating: “This is the one cigarette made just for