Seductiveness and Innocence: An Ideological Analysis of

DKNY’s “Be Delicious” Campaign

Ashlea NashManchester University

PreviewThe DKNY “Be Delicious” campaign with ideological analysis reveals a relationship between women and

advertising that creates a toxic culture.

• Background of DKNY• Method of artifact • Findings of artifact • Examples of other advertisements• Conclusion

Research questions: • How does sex sell using women in advertisements?• What are the representations of sexuality using women in advertisements?

DKNY: Be Delicious Eau So Intense

• Donna Karan launched this product in 2004• Artifact:• Released in 2012 in Cosmo

• Perfume values: • Brightness• Freshness• Energetic features

• Fan favorite• 4,000,000 bottles each year

worldwide

Ideological Criticism • Pattern of beliefs that determines a group’s interpretations

of some aspects of the world. Socially Economically Politically CulturallyFour Step Process:

1. Identify presented element2. Identify suggested elements3. Formulate the ideology4. Identify the function served by the ideology

Ideologies make something seem normal.

Presented Elements: • Woman, 20’s or 30’s• Hair• Hand• Eyes• Lips• Imperfect teeth• Perfume• Apples• Caption “Be Delicious”• A lot of green • Close up camera angle

Suggested Elements: • Seductive v. Innocent

Findings• Ideology appears to be that women are being held at a double

bind.• Caption telling women to “Be Delicious”• Women are defined as: beautiful, sexy, hot, thin, and

compared to objects.

(0:23-1:23)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzZqETo5h6c

Findings Continued

• Seductive v. Innocent • Men v. Women in society

Toxic Cultural EnvironmentIdea of a “perfect woman”95% of real women are excluded from modeling

Conclusion

• Why is this important?• 11% of women are portrayed in sexy advertisements

compared to men at 3%.

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