Upon entering the UK, it did not take long to realize that UK is much more liberal than the United States. From their politics to their mass media, much of what is considered normal here would be unthinkable in the United States.
The other day, I went in search of a popular newspaper to see just how different their media was from ours. I asked a local which paper was most widely read. She said the Sun was the most popular paper in the UK. The Sun? A tabloid? I bought it and sat down to read it, eager to find out what it meant to be a popular paper in the UK.
I wasn't five pages in before I saw just how different our papers truly were. It was an add for "Today's Page 3 Pic," the daily cell phone wallpaper picture. There she was. A 22 year old Brit from Manchester named Sam. She was shamelessly topless, posing underneath a tree. In the top, right hand side of the 1/3 page ad was the "News in Briefs". It read, "Sam was delighted at the sporting victories for young Brits Lewis Hamilton and Laura Robson."
I had heard about Europe's openness to sexuality and heard it was common to see nude pictures on television and in print media. Nevertheless, I couldn't say I wasn't a bit surprised. What I didn't understand, though, was the purpose of quoting the woman. I have seen similar ads in the United States trying to sell cell phone wallpapers but never with personal information and never topless.
Was the quote a plug for Formula 1 racing or the recent Grand Prix at Silverstone? Or, was it simply a way to connect to the audience in order to sell more cell phone wallpapers? We have already discussed, in class, the effectiveness of advertising via appealing to emotion and sexual instincts. But what if you are "selling sex"? Is it still important to use other advertising methods to increase sales?
Furthermore, in the United States, I would think that a topless photo might make the ad more effective. However, if nudity is accepted and "normal", is there anything truly exceptional about this ad? Meaning, would a cute, little kitten with a bow around it's neck be just as likely to sell "The Daily Page 3 Photo" to cell phone users?
Despite my knowledge of mass media, my first experience with the UK's media has raised a lot of questions for me. Sure, I know that sex sells and an emotional appeal to a product is important. I also believe, that readers' ability to relate to Sam probably makes her more attractive. However, even though human nature it universal, I think different ad campaigns may be necessary to appeal to people in different countries who have different cultures. This experience definitely warrant more research on my part. I can hardly wait to turn on the television!
Katherine M.
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3 comments:
I was just as surprised at how open the British are with their sexuality and nudity. Something like that would never be allowed back in the states. The entire newspaper would probably be shut down if something like that were published. Then again I have seen a lot of shocking difference between Americans and Brits. I guess a little nudity should not be that surprising.
The Brit papers have always been more racy than U.S. papers. I wonder if the AJC would stop losing circulation if they went that route? Probably not.
As an aside, a Grady grad worked for years at The Guardian, one of the papers you'll see around town. She mostly handled their political web site but now is working on a graduate degree at Cambridge. She's a southern girl with a complete Brit accent now, so unlike when she took one of my classes ages ago in Athens. When I taught Grady@Oxford I had her visit the class. She loves in in the UK.
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