Consort Hair Products for Men: Cuz Men are Different
Men’s hair care products have never regained the prominence they held in the 1950’s and early 60’s when television commercials screamed at us not to use “that greasy kid stuff”. We were advised to us to use Brylcream or any other number of products that were sure to make the girl of your dreams fall madly in love with you. Today’s is a different market and the makers of Consort hair products know that modern men have to be persuaded that they have a need for their product. “And what men watch most, surprisingly enough, is other men (Boal 11). What better way to showcase their product than with a man’s man in an elegant setting and supported by clever ad copy.
As you leaf through a copy of Sports Illustrated, Mike Ditka’s face leaps out at you from a right hand page where it immediately attracts your attention. His eyes are narrowed and there is a blatant sneer on his face as he dares you to look at him. His formal shirt is unbuttoned at the collar and his bowtie hangs down undone. But he does not look unkempt. Rather it is an appearance of a moment of quiet reflection after a busy evening. He holds a newly lit cigar between the forefinger and middle digit of his right hand and his elbow rests casually upon the linen tablecloth. His right hand with the ring and gold watch lie upon his left knee. You notice the perfectly manicured finger nails and yet instinctively you know that this is not the hand of a privileged man. The eyes narrow as he gazes out at you and his mouth is slightly turned down in a somewhat superior sneer. His moustache is neatly trimmed and his hair combed back and held in place almost perfectly. Almost, because there are a few hairs that seemingly sprout upwards as if to declare that this is a man and not to be confused with a lady.
We all have a need to be protected, shielded and guided (Fowles 6) and who better to fill this need than a former all pro tight end who played football for America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys. His toughness on the field remains legendary to this day and his later career as the fiery and combative Super Bowl winning coach of the Chicago Bears only serves to reinforce the image of “Iron Mike”. This is a man that all men wish they could be. Tough and unyielding in his determination to do it his way. Sophisticated enough to frequent even the most elegant of establishments while dressed in black tie. And secure enough in his manhood to openly use products to enhance his appearance. But not just any hair products. This is not a man who will be raiding the dressing table of his lady friends. No, he will be using a “mans” product “cuz men are different” as the last line in the ad copy states. And what man would not want to be just the same. Mike projects the image all men see themselves as; macho, superior, sophisticated.
The room is moderately lit and you observe that there are black and white photographs on the walls, that are out of camera range for focus, that give no clue as to the subject they capture. The person reading the ad imagines that they are photos of a famous golfer who may have visited the restaurant or possibly now owns it. Or it could be a politician or maybe a famous movie star. The ad designer seems to have purposely left them fuzzy so that your imagination fills in the blanks on what you would like to see in them. Vaguely you can make out the image of a large mural on the far end of the establishment. Again, you are not sure what is there. Is that a woods scene or maybe it’s a famous painting. Once again the beholder paints the picture his imagination wants to see. The tables are elegantly set with filled crystal water glasses and wine goblets that may, or may not, contain liquids. Overall, the setting screams elegance to contrast with the former football player and coach who occupies center stage. This is a situation that most men imagine themselves being in and achieving the state of “superiority” that Mike so clearly has established.
The first line of writing appears at the top of the page in light script. Ditka’s rule # 32. Immediately the reader feels regret at coming in 31 rules late. What other wisdom has Mike shared which has been missed? Subconsciously you accept that these “rules” must be successful. How else would they number into the thirties if they were not? Your curiosity has been awakened and the ad writer has captured your attention enough to ensure that you read on. “Never let an evening with a lady become an excuse to look like one”. This line definitely ensures that you will finish reading the ad. Why would Mike Ditka allege that you could look feminine by spending an evening with a female companion? The next line, featured underneath Mike’s picture explains it all. “And never use girly hair stuff”. Of course men wouldn’t want to use feminine hair products. A real man needs to use products designed especially for him and his lifestyle. A lifestyle like Mike’s. This is an advertisement for “real men” who want to use a hair product to hold their hair perfectly in place but who do not wish to look less than macho. The remainder of the ad copy reads “Get great hold that’s never stiff, never sticky with Consort. ‘Cuz guys are different. Now all is revealed. Macho men who want to look rugged, yet with presentable hair, have a product just for them. No more raiding the wife’s dressing table.
To the left of the final writing is the product itself. Displayed in the three variances it is sold in are the gel, the spray and the aerosol. You can faintly make out the writing on each container but only after straining to do so. The pictures are there only to reinforce to you what the product looks like when sitting on the shelf at your local drug or department store. You’ve already been convinced that you need this product. You have all the time in the world when shopping to decide which is the right one for you.
This ad strives to awaken that part of a man that needs to be like other men. Placed in a national sports magazine at the beginning of football season was sure to attract the attention of their target audience. Mike Ditka’s reputation and his body language in the ad all serve to pull you in and make you read the ad copy. And once you’ve read it, the goal is to make you realize that it’s okay to use hair products, but it’s not okay to use your wife or girlfriends. And not only that it’s okay, it’s necessary. The picture and the heading succeed in grabbing the reader’s attention. However, convincing typical American men that they need to go back to the days of arranging their hair before going out on the town will probably take more than a catchy ad slogan and the aging countenance of a former gridiron hero.
Boal, Mark. Women are Easy The Village Voice, June 1999. 29 September 2002
Fowles, Jib. Common Culture: Reading and Writing About American Popular Culture.
1998. 29 September 2002 <www.cyberpat.com/shirlsite/education/essary2/jfowles.html>