Doctor pepper Ten - Final

Doctor Pepper has recently put out a new version of their drink called “Doctor Pepper Ten”. It only has “ten calories but all the same great flavor”. What is very interesting about this new line of product is the company’s marketing slogan, “It’s not for women”. That simple. Doctor Pepper Ten’s advertisement is completely demeaning and disrespectful to women, and should not be using the slogan it is using.

This commercial, which is shown above, is so straightforward and surprising. Right at the beginning of the ad, the actor who appears to be playing a role in an action movie says, “Hey ladies, enjoying the film? Of course not! Because this is our movie!” How ridiculous is that? Right off the bat, their commercial is inserted with the stereotype that action movies are for men and that women, being the proper, romantic females that they are, couldn’t possibly be enjoying an action filled film. Also, little later in the commercial, the guy says, “…you can keep your romantic comedies and lady drinks, we’re good.” What makes action movies only appealing to men? There are plenty of girls that find action movies very interesting. If you are a girl, by the way, it is very important not to succumb to this ridiculous idea. Don’t be discouraged or scared away fr

om a good movie just because it’s “for guys”. It goes the same for men, as well. Guys tend to get a lot of crap if they go see (or express interest in) a “chick-flick”. That is absurd, as well. Watch whatever movie you want! There are great movies in all genres that should be watched by everyone!

At the conclusion of the commercial, the official slogan comes out, “Doctor Pepper Ten, It’s Not For Women!” This is probably one of the most blunt phrases (if not the most blunt phrase) that has been used to expose gender roles. The phrase, and the commercial as a whole, put out a completely wrong idea. First off, all of those guys out there who are all caught up in their “manliness” will see this commercial and receive false empowerment. It is awful to think about it, but some guys will watch this commercial and seriously take something from it. Those are the guys, though, that need to rethink some of their morals and ideas. It is important for guys out there to remember this commercial is the exact opposite of how you need to think of/treat women (at least if you ever plan of befriending any). If you ever start to get the idea that you as, as a man, are better than a girl because she is a girl, then you have made a mistake somewhere. To be honest, that would be a total jerk move by a guy to be drinking a soda and say something like, “Yeah, this is a man’s soda. Back off ladies.” But the idea goes past the soda; it needs to be applied to all aspects of how you treat women. They are equal to you, and deserve just as much respect as anyone else you respect.

For the women out there, it is important not to be discouraged by this advertisement. Most women who see this commercial are probably somewhat angry or disappointed. Do not forget that this is only the mindset of one team of advertisers. Most men do not have this forward of an attitude toward male superiority. This commercial does exploit how some men think, but, once again, this commercial is ridiculous. It is important, though to stay confident in all you do. There will constantly be things that will try to tell you things that simply aren’t true, and this is one of them. Just because you are a girl does not mean you can’t go and watch action movies or can’t drink a certain kind of soda. In fact, this ad should be an inspiration to prove something. Liz Nelson wrote an article called “Dr. Pepper Ten doesn't want girlie consumers; the feeling is mostly mutual” and it can be found here:

http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2011/10/dr-pepper-doesnt-want-girlie-consumers-the-feeling-is-mostly-mutual.html

Nelson describes the controversy this ad campaign has brought about, such as the heated Facebook debate that is apparently taking place. This is a good example of a woman who has stepped up to voice her opinion. If you have a problem with something, do not be afraid to step up. In terms of this commercial, it might almost be better to disregard it because most reasonable men will probably already see how abnormal this advertisement is.

As anyone can see, this commercial does no justice to women. It tries to put them on a different level than men, and it does a pretty poor job. Women and men should be able to have similar interests, and don’t listen to anyone who tries to tell you different.