OMO advert CSP blog tasks

 1) What year was the advert produced?

This OMO advert was produced in 1955.

2) How were women represented in most adverts in the 1950s? Add as much detail to this answer as you can as these are the social, cultural and historical contexts we will need to write about in the exam.

During the 1950s women were represented as being extremely feminine and submissive, They were also seen to be petite and slim with perfect hair and makeup. This was seen in adverts like cleaning & cooking products which is unrealistic and tells us during this era women had to look good no matter what and preasured. After WW2, men returned back home which led to men wanting superiority and male dominance at home and at work (society in general) as women worked traditionally male jobs which was when the OMO advert was produced.

3) How does the heading message ('OMO makes whites bright') and the style of the text promote the product?

It creates a brand that OMO is not just white but bright to which allows OMO to stand out from other brands. Capitalizing the text allows the slogan and logo to stand out and set importance. We can also see the "O" of OMO overlapping a call out (also known as a burst or bubble) which emphasises how shockingly great the product is.

4) Analyse the mise-en-scene in the advert (CLAMPS): how is costume, make-up and placement of the model used to suggest women's role in society?

We can see her hair and makeup are done well which tells us appearance was important even while doing hard jobs. It implies society expected women to look good all the time. She's also dressed in a feminine, motherly dress which suggests women were seen as to be in the house working.

5) Why is a picture of the product added to the bottom right of the advert?

It allows potential customers to recognise the product while shopping.

6) What are the connotations of the chosen colours in this advert - red, white and blue?

These colours connote liberty as during the time this was made WW2 had ended a few years ago.

7) How does the anchorage text use persuasive language to encourage the audience to buy the product? Give examples.

To stand out to their target audience the text "This'll shake you, Mother!" is written in a bold font. This is to emphasise the effectiveness of the product and direct towards their audience "mothers" or just women working domestically. 

8) What representation of women can be found in this OMO advert? Make specific references to the advert and discuss stereotypes.

We can see stereotypes of women cleaning and working domestically. This is seen as the actor's facial expression is shocked at the outcome the product has left but also the anchorage text of the first collum suggesting two women talking about OMO and how good it is.

9) What is the preferred reading for this advert - what did the producers of the advert want the audience to think in 1955? 

The preferred reading of this advert the producers wanted was that women should work domestically at home, providing for the family. They wanted for the audience to think that women should return to their original jobs.

10) What is the oppositional reading for this advert - how might a modern audience respond to this text and the representation of women here?

The oppositional reading for this advert is that women and men should be able to decide wether they want to work domestically at home. A typical modern audience would have this reading that women would be able to decide whether they want to work domestically.