Tessa Perkins : Stereotypes + Diet Coke advert.

Stereotypes - assumptions we make about people based on the way they look, which helps to understand their attitudes, values, ideologies and beliefs. 

Tessa Perkins presents 5 assumptions about stereotypes. She argues that:

1. Stereotypes are not always negative.

2. They are not always about minority groups or less powerful.

3. They can be held about one’s own group.

4. They are not rigid or unchanging.

5. They are not always fake. 

People always assume that stereotypes are always negative and are aimed at less powerful, however this is not always the case as it is possible to make an assumptions on higher class.

It is also possible to hold a stereotype about the people in the same group as you; for example people will have stereotypes about an institution (for example Wyke collage) however people within the institution will have stereotypes about people within their institution. 

Perkins also argues that it's very hard to change a stereotype, however she say that it is possible for stereotype to change and develop over the time. 

Tessa Perkins also states that stereotypes are not always false and they have to have some truth in them or where else would assumptions come from.

In this advert Coca Cola are trying to sell a life style that would appeal to women.

Target audience for diet coke are young females (16-25 years old) therefore in order to appeal to their target audience Coca Cola had to turn to stereotypes.

First of all they have used a group of young females, who are seen gossiping in the park. This is a one of the stereotypes used in this advert, as females are seen as social creatures and are usually the ones associated with gossiping, which they are doing in the advert.

Further we can see a group of women spotting an attractive man and they start teasing him and making fun of him, which again can be stereotypical of women. 

In the next scene we can see "the gardener" taking his shirt off and then we get a close up of shocked and impressed females as he has stereotypically desired body which appeals to females and therefore suggest to male viewers that, women are attracted to this body type which can be false. 
Even the product its self is stereotypical, as Diet Coke has a USP of low sugar levels and stereotypically women are associated with slimming and diet and therefore Diet Coke is trying to appeal to the female audience.