Although this ad (People magazine 11/25/09) features a celebrity, Jordin Sparks, the sixth winner of American Idol, it doesn’t use her in that typical advertising way that makes other girls feel bad about themselves. Instead, when I look at this confident and beautiful young woman, I’m proud to be a girl.
Why do I feel this way? First, her bright smile—something lacking in many ads featuring girls and women these days—tells us she’s happy to be Jordin Sparks. This image is enhanced by her looking right at the viewing audience. We can see that she’s proud of herself and doesn’t feel the need to downplay her success (as women sometimes feel pressured to do). Additionally, I like that Jordin acknowledges her ongoing commitment to maintain her positive self-image. As she acknowledges in the ad copy, she can always “wow an audience,” but she also works hard to “wow [her]self.” She teaches that we can improve our self-esteem by concentrating on what we do well.
Lastly, Jordin’s self-assurance extends to her body image, too. Of course, as part of the “Body by Milk” campaign, the ad asks us to look directly at her body. However, when we do, we see a healthy, beautiful young woman. Because it promotes a food product, this ad encourages young girls to develop good nutrition habits through the image of celebrity. With an ad that does all these great things for girls, I have to say that Jordin has “sparked” my attention!