Introduction - task 6

The representations and ideologies of aspirational adverts allow consumers to identify with the characters, as well as aspiring to be more like them. The "extreme protagonists" show that advertising has "extraordinary powers". This reinforces the idea that advertising is powerful and effective enough to be able to construct lifestyles as being more than they can be in reality. As the copycat theory suggests, viewers model themselves on the respresentations that they see in the hope that they will gain the idealistic lifestyles that are created. Through recurring stereotypical representations of the young, white male, as well as hegemonic values, the institutions behind perfume adverts represent their perfect customer so they can shape the audiences lifestyles parallel to the lifestyles of the protagonist. However, a pluralistic view would suggest that audiences are intelligent and would not passively believe that imitating these respresentations is what they need in order to get the perfect lifestyle so aspirational adverts may not be as influential as they may seem