American Apparel: Gender Objectification In Advertising

Soft pornography marketing has always differentiated American Apparel from other clothing retailers. American Apparel has been brought to court on concerns of their controversial marketing yet they continue to advertise their products with such provocative images. It is questionable why American Apparel is taking this route of commercializing to sell their clothing lines; could it be that American Apparel is selling the idea of sex rather than their products? In American Apparel’s “Meet (insert name here)” campaign, the company recruits many young normal women and even porn-stars instead of assigning models in an attempt to display their free-thinking and liberal beliefs. In spite of this, American Apparel conveys an atmosphere of gender objectification through an idealized but ultimately misguided advert campaign called “Meet Lauren Phoenix.” …show more content…
These indications are triggered by the use of the three pictures on the bottom left hand corner. The casual setting of Phoenix on white sheets with mussed hair carries across an almost effortless attractiveness and also romanticizes what sex is supposed to be. Phoenix's seductive pose prompts consumers to perceive her body through her sexual appeal. These overtly sexualized images of Phoenix initiates many questions regarding what is being argued and how the company is selling these socks through this print advertisement. Her seductive form and expressions are used as an alluring element in order to sell their merchandise. Sexual appeal, in particular, is highly effective in the persuasion of consumers because sex is one of the most instinctive needs of individuals. American Apparel uses Phoenix as a sexual object in order to satisfy the needs of their