1969 Goodyear Advertisement

Introduction

After review, I realized that the 1969 Goodyear “wide boot” tire advertisement presents complicated ideas about gender. There are ideas in the Goodyear advertisement that challenge the expectations of society and there are ideas that support expectations of society. There are aspects of the advertisement that are significant to the overall message that, without deep analysis, may seem like coincidental events or details within the ad. The combination of details used to surprise the target audience and/ or connect with them is important to help understand the differences between an individual’s thought processes and ideas. Recognizing how others portray people and other aspects of life can help you develop an understanding of the

society that you live in. When one better understands society, then more successful advertisements can be presented to the public and allow it to effectively sell the product or the idea. One of the most prominent features of society is gender. Understanding the connection between gender and societal expectations can contribute to the goal of understanding society for the sake of selling your product or idea in a more effective way. The analysis of the Goodyear advertisement will be a step towards societal comprehension that can lead to more profit or success. This ad has already brought great profit and success in selling tires and promoting the gendered message of equality. It is clear that this ad campaign should be continued in future marketing plans. The Goodyear advertisement will be analyzed; the context, people, colors and layout of the ad are topics of interest in regards to the ad complicating gender stereotypes created by society.
Target Audience
The target audience consists of men. Specifically, the advertisement targets men who own a performance or sports car, which becomes evident when one notices the presence of three identical sports cars. The location of Goodyear’s advertisement also gives one information on the target audience. A majority of consumers and subscribers of Sport’s Illustrated were, and still are male. In addition, society has a tendency to associate automobiles, racing, machinery and driving with masculinity. A good example of such a stereotype occurs when a family or couple goes on a simple drive. When a married or even an un-married couple travels in the same car, it is customary and socially more acceptable for the man to drive the car. Hundreds, if not thousands of men in 1969 saw this ad and either wished that they had those tires on their sports car, wished that they had a sports car to put those tires on , or went out and purchased the “wide boot” tires. In short, the ad targeted men and I believe that the ad influenced the target audience to purchase the “wide boot” tires.
People
The people displayed in the ad complicate societal views on gender. In the ad, you see five women. All of these women are displaying masculine features with their body language. The body language of the women tells us that they are capable of being confident, independent and capable with cars in this setting. The five Women are all standing in a way that shows dominance and confidence within their environment. The Woman standing with her boot on the tire is displaying dominance and ownership with her stance. In addition, another woman is standing in the background with her legs spread and her hands on her hips in a confident and self-assured manner-outwardly stances and positions suggest ownership and confidence in a dominating fashion in this case. These actions communicate that women are capable of the same things men are; this complicates the societal perspective that views women as more passive and less outgoing than men.
Layout
The strongly bolded text filling the page features the name and design of the entire ad. When one places large text towards the top of an advertisement, the consumer’s eyes fixate on a defining feature of the tire, its width. The emphasis on the width of the tire suggests that men want or need specific powerful features for their car. The emphasis suggests that if somebody wants to be masculine, then that person should care about the width of the tires on their car. The challenge becomes clear when one considers the fact that women presented in the advertisement and are equal to men, suggesting that they, ironically, also express interest in the power and assertiveness of cars and, specifically in this advertisement, to the width of the tires they use.
Considering the presentation of the tire itself is another step towards analysis of the gendered message.

The type of tire on a car is somewhat of an insignificant change to the vehicle overall, that is to say, it will function as a vehicle regardless of what type of tire is on it. The visuals of Goodyear’s advertisement point towards a primarily familiar feeling to the consumer with the large and flashy tires and other vehicle related images seen in similar advertisements. The connotation presented by the familiarity translates to a masculine feel that is associated with the care and attention that men give to their cars and their parts, as dictated by society. The complication lies in the fact that there are not men in the ad, but women, suggesting, just as the layout of the bolded text does, that women also give great care to their cars and their driving. The idea of women giving a great deal of care to their cars is contrary to the role(s) that society has given

women.

Color
The colors used in the ad bring a sense of independence and calmness. The color of the concrete in the background is grey and the road is black. This gives the background a sense of emptiness. The fact that there is something going on despite the lonely colors of the grey concrete and the black road implies a sense of independence or a lack of need. As far as the calmness of the ad goes, the green of the cars brings calmness or a relaxed tone into the ad. The color green has a psychologically calming effect on the human brain ("Color Psychology" 1). The overall tone that the color brings to the ad is one of independence, confidence and nonchalant-ness. All of the traits mentioned are associated with society’s connotations of masculinity. Men, as portrayed by society, are calm, cool and collected even if they are in a place that looks or feels empty. The concept of only men being independent combats the presence of women in the ad, suggesting to the consumer that they, unexpectedly, can be independent like men too.

Context
The presentation of photograph featured in the ad contributes to the gendered message of the ad. The camera angle is on the same level as the cars and the road they sit. The camera is neither looking up nor down at the scene of the ad, giving an observer the idea that they are equal to the people in the ad. The camera angle of the ad challenges gender stereotypes because it suggests to consumers that women should be equal with men when it comes to powerful cars, tires, and racing which are usually associated with masculinity.
The setting of what appears to be an old race track-like area and the appearance of all the cars and drivers gives one an idea about the event(s) that took place after the taking of the photograph. The obviously high level of cleanliness of the cars and the drivers indicates that a race will occur- as cars are normally not as pristine after a race as they are in the ad. Competition and the drive to win a race or other event are strongly associated with masculinity in society. The fact that the setting depicts a “ready-to race” feeling tells us that the ad is complicating gender stereotypes by associating competitiveness, a trait generally given by society to Men, with women in the ad. In short, the ad is complicating gender views of society by creating a competitive tone with the context and setting of the ad in relation to the people who are occupying that specific environment.
Conclusion
The Goodyear ad complicates gender expectations put upon women in society in many ways.

The presence of women in a stereotypically masculine ad for tires complicates societal views in that the only things that are typically not viewed as being masculine are the women themselves. Knowing whether an ad that challenges gender stereotypes in society can be successful is an important consideration. In this case, Goodyear is selling their tires to men, but also marketing the idea that women can display masculine traits in the same way that men can. This ad is a way that Goodyear is sending a social message about female equality that challenges expectations of society while still marketing the well and profiting from the ad. Promoting gender equality and profiting from the tire sales that the ad brings is a positive thing and should continue to reflect positive outcomes if this ad campaign an others like it are

continued.