A Retrospective Examination of Female Model Portrayals in Male Youth Targeted Cigarette Advertising Through the Lens of Objectification Theory

Abstract

We present a retrospective (1994-2003) portrayal of female models in a decade’s worth of male-targeted cigarette advertising. We specifically conduct a content analysis on cigarette manufacturer-sponsored advertisements in male-oriented print magazines. We first explore the set of advertisements using a Gestalt-type analysis, which then informs a formal content analysis using a carefully developed manual and conduct quantitative analysis on key variables that emerged. Overall, we find that the portrayal of females in male-targeted cigarette print advertising largely consists of young, objectified women whose purpose is overwhelmingly decorative, primarily to endow the advertising with sexual allure and use a “sex sells” type effort at that male audience target. These female models are used to add a hedonic, pleasure-seeking, sexual meaning to cigarette consumption, are restricted in gender role to traditional notions of femininity, and rarely appear in groups. They even are assigned different roles in terms of the simple act of smoking than males in the advertisements. We also discuss implications and areas for further research.