The Effects of Playing with White Dolls in Advertisements: A Case Study of Young Girls’ Exposure towards ‘Mediated Beauty’ in Pakistan

Abstract

This study is an effort to explore the effects of mediated white beauty through advertisements of fairness products in young girls of Pakistan. For this purpose, the researchers used survey method with structured questionnaire consisting of closed and open ended questions. A sample of 100 young girls of the age 13- 21, completed criteria of advertisements’ exposure and comparisons was analyzed under the light of ‘social comparison theory’ and ‘source credibility and source attractiveness model’. This study concluded that due to these advertisements, the Pakistani culture has been facing ‘snow white syndrome’ for the last one decade. Ads of fairness products inject this idea in the minds of girls that they are not socially acceptable if they have darker skin complexion. In addition to this, these advertisements also make young girls think that if they want to enhance their social acceptability, attractiveness, and sexual desirability in their personal relationships, it is necessary to achieve the extra white color as the ‘white dolls’ presented in the advertisement as brand ambassador. This study also concluded that extra white color is not only important in their personal relationships especially for marriages but also at professional level because they believe that they will get noticed and hired for good jobs with better incentives if they have fair complexion and white smooth skin.