Skin and hair, why care? : En kvalitativ semiotisk analys av rakvårdsföretagen Gillette Venus och Billies reklamfilmer

Sammanfattning: The following study covers the process and results of a semiotic analysis of Gillette Venus’ and Billie’s advertisements on Youtube. The intention is to compare how two brands within the same industry portray femininity and how it relates to traditional gender norms and stereotypes. The study aims to contribute with knowledge regarding how commodity feminism is used as a marketing strategy in advertisements. The chosen material consists of six advertisements, three advertisements were produced by Gillette Venus and the remaining three were produced by Billie. The study was implemented through a combination of semiotic tools such as signs, codes, symbols, denotations and connotations, which enabled us to apply our social and cultural values on the analysis. Theories related to advertising, gender norms and stereotypes, femininity and commodity feminism have been used to assure validity. Both Gillette Venus and Billie use commodity feminism as a marketing strategy, which challenges traditional norms and stereotypes. It takes form in female empowerment and body positivity and is related to the product, but their courses of action differ, which distinguishes the brands’ images from each other. Gillette Venus focuses on normalizing skin conditions that oppose normative female skin, meanwhile Billie communicates feministic messages by encouraging women to feel comfortable whether they choose to remove body hair or not. Gillette Venus’ and Billie’s feministic messages are communicated in connection with their products, but the advertisements focus on women empowerment rather than the functions of the shaving products. Therefore, our predominant conclusion is that feministic discourses are used to benefit the brands’ economic and commercial values. Their positions are strengthened through promoting their shaving products as a sign of feminine power.