Business communication BBS 2nd year question paper 2081

6. Deriving ideas about beauty from Susan Sontag's essay "Beauty," write a critical commentary on the ideas of beauty as endorsed by the products or services, which seek to attract their consumers by presenting females as objects of male's sexual desire.

In her essay “Beauty,” Susan Sontag argues that beauty is not a neutral or harmless idea but a social weapon that disciplines women. She explains that women are taught to see beauty as a duty, something they must constantly work on to gain approval, especially from men. Beauty becomes a form of power that is costly, unequal, and exhausting. When modern products and services use female bodies to attract consumers, they repeat and strengthen the very ideas of beauty that Sontag criticizes.

Many advertisements present women primarily as objects of male sexual desire, reducing their value to physical attractiveness. Beauty creams, perfumes, fashion brands, and even unrelated products like cars or beverages often show idealized female bodies posed for male pleasure. These images suggest that a woman’s worth lies in her ability to be looked at and desired. As Sontag points out, men are allowed to age, act, and exist freely, while women are pressured to remain visually pleasing. Such advertising reinforces the idea that beauty is a woman’s main social function.

This approach is harmful not only to women but also to society. It creates unrealistic standards, encourages constant self-surveillance, and turns female bodies into marketing tools. Consumers are persuaded not by the usefulness of the product but by sexualized imagery. Drawing from Sontag, we can say that these advertisements exploit beauty as a form of control rather than expression. True beauty, if it is to exist meaningfully, should allow individuality and dignity—not reduce women to objects meant to satisfy the male gaze.

OR

Modeling on R. Scholes, N.R. Comley, and G.L. Ulmer's commentary on an advertisement of the "Lucky Strike" cigarette in "Light my Lucky," write a commentary on any popular advertisement highlighting what makes the ad click with the target consumers.

Modeling on Scholes, Comley, and Ulmer’s analysis in “Light My Lucky,” we can examine how a popular advertisement persuades its audience by appealing less to logic and more to desire, identity, and cultural values. A good example is the Nike “Just Do It” advertising campaign, which has consistently “clicked” with consumers across generations.

Like the Lucky Strike ad, Nike’s advertisements do not primarily sell a product; they sell a lifestyle and a belief system. The ads often feature athletes—both famous and ordinary—pushing their limits, overcoming pain, failure, or social barriers. Shoes and clothing appear only briefly, almost incidentally. What the consumer is really invited to buy is confidence, determination, and self-worth. This strategy works because, as Scholes and his co-authors point out, successful ads attach products to powerful cultural myths. In Nike’s case, the myth is that of individual freedom, self-discipline, and heroic self-improvement.

The slogan “Just Do It” functions much like the slogans analyzed in “Light My Lucky.” It is simple, memorable, and emotionally charged, yet vague enough to allow consumers to project their own dreams onto it. Whether the viewer is an athlete, a student, or a working professional, the message suggests that buying Nike products aligns them with strength and action. The ad thus transforms consumption into a moral and personal choice, not merely a commercial one.

What makes the advertisement click is its ability to naturalize desire—to make consumers feel that wanting the product is the same as wanting success or self-respect. As Scholes, Comley, and Ulmer demonstrate, powerful advertisements succeed by hiding persuasion beneath inspiration. Nike’s ads work because they make ideology look like motivation and buying look like becoming.

7. Define the following business communication terminologies or phrases.

a. Memo

b. Diversity

c. Context

d. Flipchart

e. Downward flow of communication