A Study on Portrayal of Women through Commercial Advertisements in India

Abstract

Commercial advertisements play a significant role to introduce or define a product, its quality and its uniqueness to a purchaser. The roles of advertisers are thus very crucial in the modern day cut throat competition. The present study has examined how advertisements have depicted women in popular commercials from different points of view. It is found from the study that women have been projected as mothers, sisters and friends as per the situational demand. In case of older women, nurture and care are depicted and it is shown how they play a pivotal role in their families and thereby maintain social balance. In case of middle-aged women, their love and care for their children remain the central point of focus; whereas in the case of young women, their charm and relationships are the point of focus. However, some advertisements focus on erotic side and depict women in such a manner which hurts the culture and balance of the society.