Initial Ideas GIF

In my GIF, I aim to shed light on the internal biases that many people hold against women. To achieve this, I incorporated traditional and stereotypical traits that are often associated with sexiness for women, such as red painted nails, lingerie, and non-verbal cues that many assume imply consent.

Above is a GIF that will heavily influence the outcome of my project as it is a perfect way to portray a sexual essence in the form of a moving image. I want to create a series of images featuring a woman unzipping her pants as a nonverbal cue but with a hidden message revealed underneath.

I used these assumptions to capture the viewer’s attention, drawing inspiration from advertising campaigns like Levi’s, which often use sex to sell their products. For instance, Durex and Diesel collaborated to promote safe sex by displaying 200,000 condoms on the catwalk. Many of my inspiration images feature shirtless models acting seductively with the opposite gender. These images demonstrate how advertising uses sex as a means of highlighting what the viewer may lack in their own lives, ultimately causing them to feel inferior psychologically. This feeling of inferiority is linked to the power dynamics of sexual assault, wherein the perpetrator seeks to enforce their power over the victim. The perpetrator may assume that sexual assault is an act of sex, but in reality, it is a way of violating someone else’s autonomy and demonstrating who has the power in the situation.

It is important to recognise and acknowledge the outdated attitudes and harmful stereotypes that have been perpetuated for far too long. This includes the attitudes towards consent in sexual activity, which have been traditionally mired in assumptions and misconceptions. One of the reasons why I want to embroider the message “Did I Say Yes?” is to promote the importance of communication and consent in all forms of sexual activity.

To better represent the national identity that is present in all of Levi’s advertisements, I propose a colour scheme inspired by the images above. The colour white is often associated with purity and cleanliness, which can reflect the idea of a fresh start, a blank slate. Using the colour red will evoke feelings of passion, energy, and power, which can symbolize the strength and resilience of the American people. Additionally, blue can be used to represent loyalty, trust, and stability, qualities that are important to the American identity. By combining these colours, I can develop an iconic and memorable colour scheme for Levi’s advertisements that not only reflects the brand’s values but also resonates with its target audience.

However, rather than utilising the symbols mentioned to provide a sense of safety for American viewers, we could use them to deceive viewers into a misleading sense of security until they read the message embroidered on the jeans, which will ask, “DID I SAY YES?” This will force them to consider the implications of how complex the issue of consent is.

References:

‘Fuck Sexy’. n.d. The Belle Jar. Accessed 28 April 2023. https://bellejar.ca/tag/fuck-sexy/.

GIPHY, dir. n.d. Matt Terry Model GIF by Calvin Klein – Find & Share on GIPHY. Accessed 28 April 2023a. https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExZjdkNGE1NjU2MWQwNGY0MGNlZWNlMGRhYTc3YjUzZmIyZTYyMTM2MyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZzX2dpZklkJmN0PWc/rO8uUhh7esSWY/giphy.gif.

———, dir. n.d. RBHS VPVA GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY. Accessed 28 April 2023b. https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNWYyMGI2YmE4MWE5N2ZhZjc1NDM4NWQxZDcxMGExMjNjYTg1MmM5MiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZzX2dpZklkJmN0PWc/lQ0hw1HLvVXfa0dfC2/giphy.gif.

‘I AM BEAUTY’. n.d. UNKL. Accessed 28 April 2023. https://www.unkl.com.au/i-am-beauty.

‘Levi’s’. n.d. Luerzer’s Archive – Advertising Worldwide. Accessed 28 April 2023. http://www.luerzersarchive.com/en/magazine/print-detail/levis-26070.html.

Pages, The Society. n.d. ‘Levi’s Mocks “Men in Suits” – Sociological Images’. Accessed 28 April 2023. https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/08/14/levis-mocks-men-in-suits/.

Peoples, Landon. n.d. ‘Thanks To Eckhaus Latta, Jeans For The Cool Mom Are Here’. Accessed 28 April 2023. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/02/189899/eckhaus-latta-spring-2018-denim-campaign-photos.