Interpretive Reading of Two Maidenform Bra Advertising Campaigns

Students studying advertising can benefit from developing an historical appreciation of advertisements that were important in earlier times, as they are apt to mirror the society from which they emerged and thus will inform viewers about those eras. A classroom exercise was developed requiring students to use visual analysis as they examined slides from two Maidenform advertising campaigns. The exercise encouraged them to articulate aesthetic responses, to consider the reactions the ads must have generated among the viewers of the time, and to understand why the first campaign appealed to two decades of consumers, while the second campaign was short-lived. The project is useful because it provides a basis for understanding expectations and tastes of the past, and it helps us evaluate current advertising campaigns that provide insights to our culture.