The Big Book of Girl Stuff

by Bart King

  The same thing works in clothing stores. Women shop most frequently for underwear and socks. Because of this, many stores put these items at the back of the women’s clothing area, so that you see all the latest fashions on the way.

  Ad Types

  Here are a few of the ad strategies that research shows work especially well on girls.

  The Eye Candy Ad

  Everyone likes looking at beautiful people. That’s why they show up in so many ads: If you ever see a handsome man or pretty girl in an ad, they’re eye candy to get you to pay attention.

  That’s why pretty women are used to sell products that have nothing to do with women. It is so stupid! Models (often wearing little clothing) are used to sell men’s razors, beer, lawn mowers, you name it! Fashion models don’t even usually use those products. There is a word for what these ads are: sexist.

  The “You’ll Be Sexy” Ad

  One lame way to advertise is to pressure a girl to be pretty, or even “sexy.” Companies often don’t care how inappropriate their ads are, either. The message is if you buy our product everyone will be in love with you and you’ll be the hottest chick (or guy) in town! In 2005, Abercrombie & Fitch ran an ad campaign like this and sold T-shirts with mottos like “Who needs brains when you have these?” and “Blondes Are Adored, Brunettes Are Ignored.” Yuck!

  The “Everyone’s Doing It!” Ad

  Anytime you see an ad where three or more people are enjoying themselves with a product, the idea is that you’ll want to go along with the crowd. That’s because some people imitate what everyone else is doing without really thinking about it.

  The Everywhere Ad

  A bus with a huge ad on the side rolls by. You turn on your cell phone and get an ad. On the floor of a supermarket, on the door of the bathroom stall, flashing on a website, in an elevator, or on a T-shirt, there are ads EVERYWHERE!

  These ads are like a computer virus that companies are trying to get into your brain by having them everywhere. It’s all about repetition, repetition, repetition. There might be a short slogan to help their virus stick with you: Just do it. Do the Dew! Taste the rainbow! Drivers wanted! Party Like a Rock Star! Buy another copy of The Big Book of Girl Stuff!

  The Little Kid Ad

  Have you ever seen your little sister watch an ad on TV and then instantly want the product? Studies show that 90 percent of preschoolers will ask their parents for products they see in ads. Wow! Advertisers have learned two things about little kids:

  A. They don’t understand that what’s on TV isn’t real.

  B. They don’t understand that ads aren’t the same thing as their regular show.

  So for a little kid, an ad is just as real as a TV show and a TV show is just as real as real life! Because of this, advertising for little kids is illegal in some countries. The United States isn’t one of them.

  You’re No Sucker!

  But if you’re not going to be one, you have to pay attention!

  You Will Need: To be awake.

  Now you know about ads and how they work. For the rest of your life, whenever you see an ad, ask yourself, “What kind of an ad is it? What strategies is it using? Is it trying to trick me?” By answering these questions, you will be nobody’s fool.

  Making a Difference

  If you see an ad that you think is stupid or sexist or just wrong, don’t buy the product. This is called “boycotting” a product. (Hey, why not “girlcotting”?) Even better, you can complain right to the company. The company has a website. Just go to it and find the “Contact Us” button. Explain what ad you’re complaining about, and ask them for a reply. You may also want to complain to the TV station or magazine where you saw the ad. Your opinion is very powerful and can get things changed!

  * * *

  [15] The company did choose to stop running the ad after a group called Dads and Daughters ran a campaign against it.

  [16] You probably already figured it out . . . these are all real! (Except for E.)

  Wise Words from Wise Women

  A good quotation can give us new perspectives, inspiration, or just make us laugh. Here are some of our favorites.

  “Sometimes I think creativity is magic; it’s not a matter of finding an idea, but allowing the idea to find you.”

  —Maya Lin

  “Shoot for the moon, because if you miss, you’ll hit the stars.”

  —Cammi Granato

  “The most beautiful discovery true friends can make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.”

  —Elizabeth Foley

  “I don’t want to be stinky poo-poo girl, I want to be happy flower child.”

  —Drew Barrymore

  “A good education is another name for happiness.”

  —Ann Plato

  “I always wanted to be something, but now I see I should have been more specific.”

  —Lily Tomlin

  “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.”

  —Oprah Winfrey

  “Dad, as intelligence goes up, happiness often goes down. In fact I made a graph . . . I make a lot of graphs . . .”

  —Lisa Simpson

  “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

  —Mother Teresa

  “If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you ever tried.”

  —Phoebe McKeeby

  “I always preferred having wings to having things.”

  —Pat Schroeder

  “Smoking kills. If you are killed, you have lost a very important part of your life.”

  —Brooke Shields

  “Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn’t.”

  —Erica Jong

  “Whenever you have to TRY to fit in, it’s a sign you’re trying to be with the wrong people.”

  —Kathy Buckley

  “What’s the sitch?”

  —Kim Possible

  “Someone once called me the ultimate cheerleader and I am because I believe that if we do things together, there is hope.”

  —Wilma Mankiller

  “No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap.”

  —Carrie Snow

  “The world is extremely interesting to a joyful soul.”

  —Alexandra Stoddard

  “Always believe in yourself. Feel free and never be afraid, because fear robs you of your powers and passions.”

  —Alexandra Nechita (Alexandra made over a million dollars from her art by the time she was 15.)

  “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”

  —Julia Child

  “In every girl is a goddess.”

  —Francesca Lia Block

  “My theory is that if you look confident, you can pull off anything—even if you have no clue what you’re doing.”

  —Jessica Alba

  “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”

  —Helen Keller

  “I hope you will leave the world a better place than you found it.”

  —Jane Yolen

  “Sugar. Spice. And everything nice. These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girls. But Professor Utonium accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction . . . Chemical X. Thus the Powerpuff Girls were born.”

  —from The Powerpuff Girls

  “‘Dumb’ is just not knowing. ‘Ditzy’ is having the courage to ask!”

  —Jessica Simpson

  “Go for it, never back down, and don’t give in, because there’s no greater satisfaction in life than using your gifts to help others and to contribute to your community and country.”

  —Madeleine Albright

  “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

  —Anne Frank

  “On the path between
the homes of friends, grass does not grow.”

  —Norwegian Proverb

  “The biggest sin is sitting on your ass.”

  —Florynce Kennedy

  “It’s all about you. Don’t look to a guy to make you feel like you have a sense of value.”

  —Sara Levinson

  “I feel my best when I am happy.”

  —Winona Ryder

  “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

  —Edith Lovejoy Pierce

  “I don’t understand why Cupid represents Valentine’s Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.”

  —Chutney McGillicutty

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