Campaigns against human trafficking

Trafficking is a consequence of objectification; women are considered objects that can be sold or bought. Children also can be the victims of this horrible practice.

The following campaign is very interesting and innovative as the message comes in the shape of packaged meat and it is placed next to it in a supermarket. It catches people attention because of the unexpected of the location and format. I think that also helps to spread the word as it gives people something to talk about. It was done by Mikado Publicis for Luxembourg Government. 

If it were that obvious we wouldn't need your help. Campaign made by the agency Marca Hispanic for Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking in 2007.

The Salvation Army in South Africa worked with Leo Burnett on this campaign to create awareness of human trafficking. They put children on sale in fashion boutique windows to shock the people passing by. The text: “Human trafficking is a serious crime. Help us end the exploitation” This campaign as well as the first one, makes use of an unusual location and different format to catch people's attention.

Sources:

http://es.coloribus.com/

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2007/salvation-army-challenges-human-trafficking/

Another ration of sexist ads

Two advertisements from BMW.

You know you are not the first

The ultimate attraction

 Advertisement from The Harley Medical Group showing how bigger breast is the key for happiness.

Mercator's video that perpetuates the stereotype of women not being able to use tools or machinery.

This video from Brut presents a woman as part of the male stuff.

Overly sexual ad from Burger King

Burger King

 Ads from Bit Copa, a Brazilian beer, which are not only sexist but also promote the stereotype of Brazil as a destination for sex.

 AMPM stores ad includes women as "good stuff"

 The organization PETA makes use of almost naked women bodies to draw attention.

Caged PETA activists in bikini

Peta girls campaigning 

The PETA girls wearing a lettuce bikini next to their fully clothed male mates

Pink Stinks

Pinkstinks is a campaign and social enterprise that challenges the culture of pink which invades every aspect of girls' lives.

This site aims to gather support, promote discussion and ultimately to mobilize that support to influence marketeers and the media about the importance of promoting positive gender roles to girls.

They believe that body image obsession is starting younger and younger, that little girls are subtlety made to think that they have to be pretty and that can have consequences when they get older, like low self-esteem or eating disorders. Girls are pressured to look nice and are bullied if they don't fit the type of the moment. The whole of idea of the little princess treatmeant not only expose them to the idea of having to be pretty to soon but to be passive too. 

The following is a make up tutorial by a 7 year old girl. The little girl is having fun but, is the role playing going too far?

Sources:

http://www.pinkstinks.co.uk/ 

http://pinkstinks.wordpress.com/

Beauty contests in Universities

Should an academic institution like university be involved in events such as beauty pageants? Beauty pageants or beauty contests are competitions mainly based on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria. The majority of them are for women.

Beauty pageants reinforce the idea that women are only of value according to their attractiveness and they reduce women to objects to be judged and compared on the basis of their appearance.

Here are some videos showing one Miss University London event and two TV shows talking about this subject.

Some statistics related to sex object culture

• Over half (54%) of all women around the world say they first became aware of the need to be physically attractive between 6 and 17 years of age ₍₁₎
• Eating disorders are as common amongst women as autism ₍₂₎
• 66% of teenage girls would consider plastic surgery and 20% would do it right now ₍₃₎
• Polls suggest that 63% of young women aspire to be glamour models or lap dancers ₍₄₎
• At every End Violence Against Women Coalition consultation event members have raised the sexualisation of women in the media as a factor in violence against women and girls ₍₅₎
• One in three people believe a woman is responsible for violence committed against her if she is wearing 'revealing clothing' ₍₆₎
• 66% of young people learn about sex and relationships through the media₍₇₎
  

_{(1) Dove ‘The Real Truth About Beauty’, 2004. 3200 women interviewed aged 18-64 from 10 countries via telephone
(2) BEAT eating disorders charity 'About eating disorders': http://www.b-eat.co.uk/PressMediaInformation/Somestatistics
(3) mykindaplace.comsurvey of 1,800 teenage girls, 2005
(4) http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/161/161338_naked_ambition_rubs_off_on_teen_girls.html
(5) End Violence Against Women Coalition (2008) Realising Rights,Fulfiling Obligations: A Template for an Integrated Strategy on Violence Against Women for the UK
(6) Amnesty International UK (2005) Sexual Assault Research: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=16618
(7) Buckingham and Bragg (2003) Young people, media and personal relationships, Institute of Education}


Sources:

http://www.object.org.uk/the-facts/the-facts

Project Plan-First draft

The design objectives

The creation of a campaign against sexism to help men and women identify sexist situations, understand why are they wrong and confront them.

The graphic material can be created for an existing campaign or a new one can be done.

The target audience

The campaign is targeted to everybody but with an emphasis on young people as their minds are usually the most influenced by sexist imagery on the media. It will seek to be as relevant to men as to women.

Competitors

coming soon...

The design elements

coming soon...

Project plan schedule

Research-18 July

Concept development-3 August

Concept testing-15 August

Design solutions-2 September

Printing-8 September

Critical reflection

Some inspiring campaigns

The Body Shop

Here there are some examples of the Body Shop campaign “Love your body”. The first two make use of dolls referring icons like Barbie but in the proportions of the average woman in order to make women love their bodies how they are naturally instead of aspiring to have the one of a supermodel. 

The third advertisement states that life is too short therefore it should be enjoyed whatever you look like. 

 Dove

The dove campaign, done by Unilever, about real beauty employed women that don't have the standard characteristics to be a commercial model. Although their pictures are retouched too they are much more representative of the variety of women's body shape.

The following adverts have been criticised for considering that they promote the spectator to judge women based on their looks as it give the choice of two adjectives to describe her.

Sources:

http://www.thumped.co.uk/advertising/body-shop.php

http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/values-campaigns/index.aspx?cm_re=Tyra_JuneSale-_-Navigation-_-values

http://www.dove.co.uk/campaign-for-real-beauty.html