Advertisements often reflect cultural, gender or common stereotypes that are well-known within society. The objective of advertisements is to sell the product that is portrayed to the target audience and this is accomplished through the use of technique, symbolic and written code. An example of a typical gender representation is evident in the "AVON" ad where it is basically saying that females are generally linked to cosmetics and is obsessed with beauty. Similarly the ad "Almay" conveys the same message but in a different technique. The ad is stating that by using this product your skin will be fresh and clean and oil-free. This again refers to the stereotypical representation of female where beauty is of high importance to them. With the manipulation of certain codes it can be observed that ads try to sell their product by portraying accepted practice within the society.
Through the application of technical code on the "Almay" and "AVON" ads, the viewer can be assisted in recognizing the gender representation of female that is portrayed to the target audience. The picture of Courtney Thorne-Smith, an actress, is taken at a normal eye level which suggests equality and that all female can be just like her if they use the product from Almay. A close up shot of Courtney is taken which shows a lot of details about her features. The ad implies that if this product is used then the result is looking like her with straight white teeth and fresh, healthy looking skin. The AVON ad also show female stereotype but differs in the technique used to convey the representation. The camera angle is taken at a high level and this infers inferiority to those who does not use the product from AVON. Lighting is also applied in this ad, with the magazine the woman is holding being given an emphasis on. The brightly lit magazine assists in creating a centre of interest and draws the viewer's eye to it. That the magazine is about the product shows stereotypical female and how they are obsessed with beauty.
