This document outlines a research investigation that will analyze how hair product and perfume advertisements appeal to their target gender through the use of graphics, text, images and language. The investigation will look at gender stereotypes used in the ads and how theories of language and gender from linguists Lakoff and Tannen are either supported or refuted. The goal is to explore the techniques used in magazines ads to target specific genders and the effect this has. The research will involve a textual analysis of ads found in purchased magazines.

1. JonSelfe
1 Introduction
My investigationwillbe lookingatthe waysin whichadvertsforhairproduct and
perfume/aftershave advertsappeal totheirtargetgender.IndoingthisIwill be looking
mainly,atgraphology(colour,font,style of text)andlexis.Iwill alsoneedtolookfor
pragmaticsas lotsof these advertisementshave secondmeaningsbehindthe picturesand
phrasesandsometimeswordplay.Iwill needtolookatgenderstereotypesandhow these
advertsuse themina positive way.
Withina fieldof academiclinguisticresearchmyinvestigationwouldbe inthe fieldof
language andgender– the maintheoristsIshouldinclude inmyinvestigationshouldbe
Lakoff and Tannenas theybothhave differentviewsonlanguage andgenderandIcan state
if the advertsfloutor supportthe theoriesandwhy.
I wantto explore thistopicasI touchedonit inmy AS EnglishLanguage course andfoundit
interestingbecause there are loadsof subtle techniquesinadvertising(particularlygender
specificadvertising) thatyoudon’tnecessarilynotice untilreallyexploringanddissectingthe
advert.
The aim of my researchisto explore the waysinwhichhairproductand fragrance
advertisementsinmagazinesappeal totheirtargetgenderandthe effectthatithason
them.I will alsobe lookingatwhythe techniquesIhave exploredare used.
I will be doingcross-sectional researchasI will be usingdatathat ishappeningatthe same
time butwithsome variables.
I will be doingtextual analysisasIwill be focusingonadvertsinmagazines.ThismeansIwill
have to be lookingthroughandbuyinglotsof magazinesforsourcesof investigationand
analysis.
The specificquestionthatIam addressingis - How do hair productand fragrance adverts
appeal totheirtarget gender?