Media Language and Representation in "This Girl Can" Campaign

The This Girl Can campaign, a key component of GCSE Media Studies Eduqas This Girl Can curriculum, employs powerful media language and representation techniques to challenge traditional stereotypes and encourage women's participation in sports.

Text and Written Language

The campaign's slogan, "This Girl Can," serves as a bold and determined statement, promoting a positive attitude towards exercise. It cleverly transforms the derogatory phrase "sweating like a pig" into the empowering "feeling like a fox," emphasizing qualities like sleekness, sexiness, and sophistication.

Highlight: The use of the hashtag "#thisgirlcan" creates a sense of community, popularity, and intrigue, effectively engaging the target audience on social media platforms.

Visual Imagery

The campaign features images that break away from conventional representations of women in sports media:

• A woman in her 30s, embracing exercise and freedom
• Non-celebrity model, making the imagery relatable to a wider audience
• Absence of photoshop or airbrushing, accepting imperfections
• Natural hair and makeup, de-emphasizing traditional beauty standards
• Confident facial expression, conveying enjoyment of the moment
• Independent and free body language, dressed in regular green clothing

Example: The choice to feature a non-celebrity woman in her 30s exercising confidently challenges the typical media representation of young, airbrushed models in sports advertisements.

Theoretical Framework

The campaign challenges traditional media theories:

• Propp's character types often portray men as heroes and women as damsels in distress
• Mulvey's male gaze theory suggests that women are frequently represented negatively to conform to male expectations

Definition: The male gaze theory, proposed by Laura Mulvey, refers to the way visual arts and literature depict the world and women from a masculine point of view, presenting women as objects of male pleasure.

Context and Impact

Sport England initiated this campaign after identifying a significant gender gap in exercise participation:

• 2 million fewer women were exercising compared to men
• Fear of judgment was identified as the primary reason for this gap
• The National Lottery funded the campaign to showcase authentic female exercising
• As a result, 1.6 million more women started exercising
• The campaign's success influenced other initiatives, such as Nike's "Better For It" campaign

Vocabulary: Dominant ideology refers to the set of beliefs and values that are most widely accepted and considered normal in a society, often reinforcing existing power structures.

Representation

The This Girl Can advert analysis reveals how the campaign challenges dominant ideologies and promotes positive representation of women:

• Encourages women to exercise, defying traditional stereotypes
• Presents a raw and authentic portrayal of women exercising
• Depicts women as strong and happy role models
• Uses "girl" inclusively to encompass all females and challenge the stereotype that girls can't do sports
• Promotes the idea that confidence is attractive
• Diverts from typical representations of women as weaker, offering a more empowering image

Quote: "Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox" - This powerful phrase encapsulates the campaign's message of embracing the physical realities of exercise while feeling confident and attractive.

Media Language: Layout and Design

The campaign's visual design reinforces its message:

• Central placement of the mantra emphasizes its importance
• Blurred background focuses attention on the protagonist and suggests inclusivity
• White serif font connotes dominance, purity, and creates a stamp-like effect
• Clear placement of the campaign logo supports the overall ideology

Highlight: The use of a blurred background not only focuses attention on the main subject but also subtly conveys the idea of exercising with others, promoting a sense of community.

This comprehensive analysis of the "This Girl Can" campaign provides valuable insights for GCSE Media Studies This Girl Can exam preparation, offering a deep understanding of media language, representation, and the campaign's societal impact.