Photoshop In Advertising Essay

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Recommended: Stuart Hall writes about ‘Encoding and Decoding’

The rise in excessive Photoshop in advertisements geared towards teenagers will be analyzed using Stuart Hall’s encoding and decoding theory, margins and centers, and the cumulative effects theory.
Photoshopping in advertisements appealing to teenagers has a long lasting impact on the lives of teenagers. Teenagers internalize these unrealistic photoshopped images of models in the media. This can have a negative impact on their self esteem and create eating disorders. Photoshop artists’ use this software to create a false image of what society has deemed as perfect. Huffington Post recently exposed Target’s excessive use of Photoshop in their online swimsuit line advertised for teenagers. It was obvious that the photograph of the teen model was stretched to make her limbs longer and skinnier, and the Huffington Post reported that “the model is missing a piece of her crotch.” (Feldman, 2014) The purpose of the missing crotch was to use the software to create deception of the thigh gap, a new trend of skinny by having your thighs not touch. This advertisement was appalling because Target photoshopped junior models who appeal to young girls. Jamie Feldman, a writer for the Huffington Post, states “The only thing worse than photoshopping adult models is photoshopping junior models, who market to young girls.” (Feldman, 2014) This issue matters because teenagers, especially young girls, are pressured to achieve this unattainable beauty that is portrayed in advertisements geared towards teenagers.
When excessive Photoshop is not used, teenagers can relate to the models that are being advertised. Huffington Post published an article praising Aerie, a lingerie sister store of American Eagle, for featuring all unairbrushed models. Thes...

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...e can relate to based on looks, but instead they use Photoshopped models. The advertisements that Aerie launched raised their sales by 16% that quarter which proves that appealing to the centers will benefit both the teenage consumers and the advertiser. (Krupnick, 2014) Advertisers should do research on teenagers that are in the centers of society to ensure they are appealing to the most amount of people.
Technology, especially the creation of the software Photoshop, has provided advertisers with a new outlet to appeal to teenagers. The excessive use of Photoshop instills an unattainable and dangerous image in teenager’s head of what it means to be beautiful. Stuart Hall’s encoding and decoding theory, the cumulative effects theory, and margins and centers, presents an analysis of the rise of excessive use of Photoshop in advertisements geared towards teenagers.

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