Skechers has chosen a new target audience for their Shape-up shoe line, which were recently advertised by Kim Kardashian in a sexy Super Bowl Ad; this time older women aren’t the target audience. Instead, little girls are. This ad shows how Heidi is a rock star and how she’s “got everything a girl wants!” It could possibly be because “She’s got the height, got the bounce, and she’s looking good and having fun” all thanks to Skechers Shape-ups. Girls from different races are shown so that no one is excluded. What is interesting to note about this commercial is that other girls aren’t dressed up in food costumes to chase Heidi. Instead, fatigued and unattractive boys are. What exactly is Skechers trying to say? Girls can refrain from sweet temptations and look good while doing it? Had attractive and “functioning” boy characters been used in this commercial than maybe the girl’s sex appeal would be boosted. However, is it right that Skechers created this double standard when the company is attempting to fight childhood obesity? Perhaps toning shoes aren’t what are necessary to fix the problem; toning consists of firming the legs and one’s rear. I believe that a better solution for this problem where parents wouldn’t be outraged and ideal beauty isn't promoted consists of creating and marketing a fashionable running shoe.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Shaping-up or Just Plain Shallow?
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This commercial is absolutely ridiculous. Young girls should not be concerned with "shaping up" and should definitely not purchase shoes according to a need for fitness. At an elementary school age, girls should only be concerned with buy shoes that have their favorite colors or are comfortable - simple needs of a child (, which is the way it should be!).
ReplyDeleteThis commercial states that "Heidi has got everything a girl wants", not referring to the shoes, but rather referring to her "height and bounce" that the shoes give her. The commercial is more focused on her body image and the fact that she looks beautiful than the shoes themselves. In addition, the boys in the commercial are drooling over Heidi and her shape-ups because she is now a tall and fit girl, rather than a short, chunky girl without shape-ups. Body image is over-emphasized in this commercial, forcing young girls to believe that they need these shoes in order to be prettier.
In addition to false body images, this commercial also strategically uses semiotics to sell the shoes. Heidi, the main character with the shape-up shoes, is seen prancing around her friends and smiling, signifying that the shoes make her happy. Bright colors are also used in this commercial, making the world around Heidi seem more beautiful and over-exaggerated than one's normal sidewalk.