‎Understanding Why Advertisements Often Feature Men and Women in Different Roles

BY EGUNGWU CHUKWUKA BENJAMIN

‎Last week, I came across a video on social media in which the creator asked his audience why women are mostly featured in beauty product advertisements, and men are used to promote items such as medications and painkillers. I do not recall the creator's name or know the exact purpose of the video, but it reminded me of a memorable lecture by my advertising lecturer, Mr. Sotayo-Aro.

‎On that day, the advertising lecture, which was centered on 'advertising appeals', ran beyond its scheduled time. This experience provided me with the knowledge to explain the reasons behind traditional gender roles in advertising. Although advertising firms are now breaking these stereotypes by featuring men in beauty product ads and women in promotions for more serious products and services, this is because these ads are designed to resonate with societal expectations and target modern consumers.

‎In Africa, Nigeria to be specific, women have traditionally been associated with household chores, family care, love, and nurturing roles. These perceptions make them a natural fit for advertising products such as detergents, soaps, creams, and many skincare items. While men are often seen as providers and decision-makers, which makes them more suitable for promoting investments, banking services, cars, furniture, and other products that require careful consideration.

‎To understand this better, it is important to examine key concepts in advertising. Advertising is fundamentally about influencing behaviour. Wright et al. (1974) described it as “a powerful communication force and vital business tool. It interacts with numerous marketing concerns, including personal selling, product development, branding, merchandise, and research.”

‎Skimmer (1980) added that “advertising is an attempt at controlling human behaviour by appealing to human conscience and emotions.” This means that effective advertising targets both emotions and reasoning to trigger individuals towards purchasing the advertised product. I could only relate three types of appeals to this topic, specifically.

‎✓ Emotional Appeal: This targets the consumer's feelings, with the aim to stimulate social or psychological desires such as joy, love, and care. For example, noodle brands often show a mother preparing a meal for her children, maybe followed by compliments or a hug from their mother showcasing family happiness. Cleaning products frequently use similar emotional storytelling.

‎✓ Rational Appeal: As the name implies, this kind of appeal is directed at the audience's intellect or reasoning ability. It highlights the benefits of a product, allowing consumers to evaluate its value logically. After careful deliberation, the targeted audience tends to make a decision on whether the product is important or should be on their secondary list. Examples are advertisements for investments, technology, cars, and financial services, which commonly employ this method, which is why men are traditionally featured in them.

✓ Sex Appeal: This appeal involves both genders, but women are mostly used. Advertisers use this method to attract attention. Imagine a dark chocolate or fair, pretty lady taking a shower in a bathtub, covered with bubble bath foam, while displaying the advertised soap or skin care product. Even body/hair creams, fashion wears, jewelry, perfume, etc., are advertised through this appeal.

‎The traditional gender roles in advertising are gradually changing. Today, it is now common to see men in beauty and skincare campaigns and women used in promoting serious products too. These shifts are driven by changing societal norms and the desire to make audiences feel more included and represented. The use of specific genders in advertisements is not merely about who uses the product, but about creating a message that resonates with the target audience. Advertisers aim to connect with people through the ads, so they do this by either fitting in with what people already think/societal expectation or they challenge or take a shift from the norm smartly.

NB: This article was originally published on Champion Newspaper, Lagos, April 10th , 2025.