Ave Vice, Take Two
Context: This was taped to a lamppost on campus. It was on Pleasant Ave. in front of Jones Hall. I also saw them taped up in Dinkytown at the corner of 4th and 15th. The product being promoted by this ad campaign is Axe Vice body wash, deodorant, and body spray.
Content: The premise of this ad campaign is that the scent of Axe Vice products makes “nice” women turn “naughty” and assault men sexually.
Form: This ad is made to look like a mug shot. The woman is standing in front of a wall with heights on it and holding a sign with a name and number. The presentation of the ad, by being taped up to lampposts, is suggestive of neighborhood notification of sex offenders. The woman fits into the ideal of beauty in America: she is white, skinnier than the average American woman (who is a size 12 or 14), and has long hair. She is wearing a “cute” yet “conservative” outfit: a pink sweater over a white shirt.
Reading: The idea behind the image is that “nice” women are not sexual and that only “naughty” women are sexual. The colors of her outfit suggest that she is “nice,” pink is traditionally associated with femininity and white is associated with innocence. The ad also perpetuates the myth that sexual assault of men is not a serious issue.