Having been blamed for devastating women's self-esteem “size zero” models are now accused of being poor at selling things. Research has found that instead of being admired by women, excessively slender models are regarded as less ethical, knowledgeable and truthful than their larger peers. 'The advertising and fashion industries are reluctant to use larger models because they say that thinness sells,' said Dr Helga Dittmar, of the Social Health Psychology Research Group at the University of Sussex. 'But our research has shown that thin models are less effective in selling products than average-size models.'
Dr Dittmar asked 800 women aged from 18 to 30 to rank the effectiveness of adverts featuring slim models with a UK size eight (US Size 4) dress compared with those using size 14 models. (US size 10) She said she expected women to find thin models more convincing and persuasive. 'Instead there was a strong message that models were evaluated more positively when they were average-sized,' she said.
The Dove women - SaleDr Dittmar said: 'Only the tiniest percentage of women can ever hope to achieve the bodies shown in most advertising. There are well-grounded fears that images of size-zero models spark a body dissatisfaction in women. Compared with ultra-thin models, those with an average, healthy body size were viewed as more credible, more trustworthy, and more knowledgeable than their skinnier peers by all women, whatever their profession, age or personal weight issues,'
The reaction to the adverts held true for a range of different products, including bodycare items, make-up and food. The only item that the ultra-skinny models were better at selling was diet aids.
Erin O'Connor - No sale?However, a spokeswoman for the Premier Modelling Agency said: 'Statistics have repeatedly shown that if you stick a beautiful skinny girl on the cover of a magazine you sell more copies. We supply the women the advertisers, our clients, want. The clients would say that they are selling a product and responding to consumer demand. 'At the end of the day, it is a business, and the fact is that these models sell the products.'
size zero
14 comments:
Good article, Jams. There is a big problem in the modern world regarding advertising and the effects it has on a person's self-esteem. Unfortunately the leading victims of this are usually women.
At least according to this study, women see through the advertiser's bullshit. That can only be a good thing
let's not listen to what real women want in advertising- what do they know? fat lazy cows. we have to use scrawny underweight models so that the 'average' woman wants to be that way. please. i know in my world we women complain that these poor skinny models are killing themselves- for what? it isn't the ad so much as it is the product and most of us can't afford to buy the crap that they are selling anyway. we head to the gap or target to get real sized knock offs. maybe if more folks in the industry started boycotting like spain- change would come. better yet- if women refused to be that skinny- then they wouldn't have any models anyway. christie brinkley, cindy crawford, naomi campbell- none are scrawny and i will bet dollars to donuts that they sold plenty of product in their day. most women can't relate to drug-addicted looking waifs.
This inspired me............to go eat second helpings at dinner.
What a delicious post, jams!
betmo
I think you have a point there. The goal of unattainable thiness makes woman buy more clothes.
As their size fluctuates, over years or months, with dieting, they grow into and out of clothes they can just squeeze into. Different sizess also mean different styles, further increasing the spend.
So elusive size means a marketing dream.
My prediction is that once woman have bought clothes in a reasonable, comfortable, average size the industry will trot out the thin models again to make them feel deficient and buy yet more "thin" clothes.
Shifting marketing is probably also used on men, about car purchases.
Pete
Another side of the coin is the problem of anorexic models starving themselves for the job. Some more responsible design and ad agencies have undertaken a vow not to employ excessively thin candidates. But there still are some who will...
P.S. Blogrolling reciprocated, I quite like what I see here too, and thanks.
Jams, there is more to these models, I'm afraid: there is a reason people find them beautiful (50 years ago - or less- they wouldn't have, btw).
Pete, yes and no: "buy yet more "thin" clothes." - this is not about the dresses only: it is about a whole lifestyle. And the models represent exactly that.
Nice post. How the hell do you have a size 0 anyhow? It just sounds so ridiculous.
Thinness certainly does seem to be enforced among D List celebrities like Nicole Ritchie.. That pictures of stick thin and borderline anorexics like Nicole Ritchie would actually sell totally puzzles me SLB.
Well put Betmo. I really don't think the advertisers or moreover the fashion industry have any concerpt what a real woman looks like. Okay some women are natuarlly thin but most aren't!
Absolutely ewbl! I think some of these supermodels need a good feed and second helpings...beats eating toilet paper and the like!
I think you have a point there abour shifting marketing pete.. how else do you enforce obsolescence!
It is rediculous Roland, unless one is naturally thin.. some women are but not many
Glad you like the Poor Mouth Snoopy, I remember that model who starved herself to death not long ago... she was skinny to start with but was pressured into starvation to get more chance of work
Inages change Red, but in reality women were skinnier here 50 years ago. THe desure to become stick thin is an utter mystery.
I guess my question concerning size 0 is how can there ever be a size that is not even a number but a mathematical concept? It’s like saying I have a seize that is theoretically non-existent. Baffles my mind.
Hmm SLB it is strange to think that Marilyn would be considered too fat to be a model! I wouldn't care much if haute couture was the only place where the stick thin were promoted. What the hell makes Nicole Ritchie et al think their anorexic look makes them more desirable? I am as baffled as Roland
"What the hell makes Nicole Ritchie et al think their anorexic look makes them more desirable?" - partly paedophilia is explored here. methinks. The preferred image is pre puberty. 20ish are often considered "too old" for modelling.
There may be an element of it. That or just a bunch of arseholes in the fashion business somehow think clothes look best hanging off elongated 12 year olds.....
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