WOMEN'S ROLE IN ADVERTISEMENTS

In this photo project, I explored the evolution of the female figure in advertising, comparing the curvaceous, alluring pin-up models of the 1950s with the often extremely thin, almost anorexic, portrayals of women in 21st-century ads. The pin-up phenomenon was designed to capture consumers' attention and drive sales. Icons like Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable remain etched in our memories precisely because these women were impossible to overlook. Reflecting on this, I decided to highlight the stark contrast with early 21st-century advertising, where the model is often pushed to the background to showcase the product. In these ads, the woman becomes almost an abstract figure, serving merely as a backdrop, like a mannequin, with no real presence to distract from the item being sold—she’s reduced to little more than a coat hanger.