The representation of women in the 1988 Irn Bru advert




This advert takes "irn bru" very literally. A woman, who is "sweaty" uses the Irn Bru to tease the man and then she literally blows him away. This suggests that women take advantage of their good looks but know when to stop and so are in control. The man may be after the woman or the Irn Bru she is holding. There is then a woman walking past objectified for her looks and is shown very obviously by the men looing at her as she goes past. Another woman is ealier shown next to a car with water(?) spraying on her so her hair is wet and then she poses..this is quite provocative and so conforms to Mulvey's theory to create a fetishistic mode, which presents responses to male castration. Although the advert seems to be targeting both males and females, the women are objectified causing males to be persuaded to buy the drinks. The female audience may want to buy the drink to look and feel like the women in the advert- to be provocative but have the power to push men away.

Although this was shown 18 years ago it is still quite similar to the McDonalds advert in the way that it conforms to the Male gaze but women to have control and are not passive.