For years, the fashion industry has believed that ads with young, thin and let's face it–perfect looking models, would make women want to shop. There has been this idea that women who like to wear fashionable clothing also aspire to squeeze into a size-zero, which explains the super skinny, so-called aspirational models that grace the pages of magazines and fashion advertisements everywhere. But a new study FINALLY proves that this is actually not the case and that these ads actually DON'T encourage women to shop at all! Quite the opposite…
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Researchers from Warwick Business School discovered that women respond better to bigger, older models and are more willing to buy a product that's modeled by a woman that's closer to their own size. They found that when a woman sees a thin, pretty model in a clothing advertisement, it triggers a coping mechanism that can lead to negative thoughts towards the brand. In other words, if I'm shopping and I see an image of a incredibly flawless woman modeling a piece of clothing and I look nothing like her after trying it on myself, chances are I'm not going to buy it.
Blatantly exposed images of a thin, beautiful models tend to transfer a woman's negative thoughts towards the ad to the product. And I think it's safe to say that when it comes to shopping a white, size 0 model doesn't really do a lot of inspiring when it comes to us Latinas. Don't you agree?
I really was not at all surprised by these findings. Feminists have been fighting against advertisers for years about how very thin models hurt women's self esteem. So why wouldn't it affect how they respond to a product modeled by these women?
I can admit that I've definitely experienced the positive effects that come with casting diverse models. When I'm looking at an ad whether it's for a fragrance, clothing or even for a bra, I want to feel inspired to buy it. And honestly, that usually happens when I feel like the model reflects my size, my race, and my age. Why? Because the model doesn't just make me feel more beautiful, but I see it as a way to celebrate my unique beauty.
While I'm glad this study was conducted, I do hope this results in some change. I'd love to finally see the day when ads are filled with a lot more diverse and curvier models.
Image via Thinkstock
