We get it. That looks really cool! There was some combination of an action hero, a hot young woman, a one-liner, and/or explosions. We're a couple of young guys too. We've been there: downloaded that app, had some fun, forgot about it; or watched the movie, had some laughs, went home; or even gotten the burger, ate it, and let nature run its course. You may be thinking " ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, it was good while it lasted, and didn't hurt anyone. So what". We thought that too. But before you download that app, watch that movie, go to that burger joint, whatever, read this.
We're talking about the problem with Mobile Strike's ad campaign featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Disclaimer: Schwarzenegger is mentioned a lot in this, but don't give us any "how dare you attack on him"'s, because we're not) Schwarzenegger has had an impressive life in a variety of careers: he was an inspirational professional bodybuilder, he played many iconic characters in movies such as Conan the Barbarian, the Terminator series, and Kindergarten Cop, and on top of this, was also governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Wherever Schwarzenegger goes, he carries all of these roles with him. From an advertising view, if you put Schwarzenegger in a scene, you're bringing bad ass masculinity to the scene. This is exactly what Mobile Strike wanted in their advertisements for their app.
First up, Arnold Schwarzenegger in: Command Strike. In this uncut version, we see a group of military officials being attacked while holed up in a bunker. As the ground is shaking and the roof is crumbling, in walks Schwarzenegger, complete with dozens of medals pinned to his uniform. He swiftly takes control and leads a counterstrike against the opposition, ending with enemies weakly retreating back. At first glance, cool, General Arny! Explosions! 'Merica! But look deeper into what this commercial is showing. At first, there are some officials clearly doing something wrong, or else they wouldn't be in this situation. Schwarzenegger has to get up from a nap or whatever has was doing to show them how its done. He walks in saying things like "The best defense is defense." For our silly military officers, this is a revolutionary idea! As continues explaining his plan, it is clear over-aggressive-ness is key. He says "Use everything you have", "Send a dozen choppers, when one chopper will do" and "Build walls twice as high as you need." A group of eleven men and women couldn't figure out a good strategy, but macho man Schwarzenegger strolls in and deals with it.
Second, Arnold's Fight, which aired during the Super Bowl. Here we have Schwarzenegger riding in an crowded elevator. There's the 'ding' of the elevator reaching the floor, then explosions. Chaos erupts as Arnold fights everyone off, but eventually his phone is taken from him and the enemy calls in a strike. The situation escalates as a tank bursts through a wall, and as the dust settles, Schwarzenegger is crawling towards his phone, trying to strike back. In this commercial, Schwarzenegger becomes a superman, as he knows the ambush is coming before it happens and defends himself from four men, a ninja, and a tank. The four men he fights are average looking: there are two business men, a delivery guy and a bellhop. These four men represent a majority of men as a whole (sorry, but not everyone is as built as Schwarzenegger). When Schwarzenegger took on all four of them (and came out on top), he was taking on other versions of masculinity. This is an example of how Mobile Strike's ads promote a macho, hyper-masculine version of masculinity above alternate versions through Schwarzenegger. Research done by James M. O'Neil has shown that men will always try to seem manlier, and will take on a new, masculine identity to amplify their own masculinity. Seeing a figure like Schwarzenegger promotes just the identity young men might appeal to, and placing him in scenes like this elevate his masculinity even more. After watching him survive an ambush from four men, a ninja, and a tank, who wouldn't want to be like Schwarzenegger?
Last but not least, we have Arnold Schwarzenegger in "War Without Weapons". The setting is an urban war zone, with debris and explosions everywhere; it is very reminiscent of The Terminator, especially scenes set in the future after the apocalypse. In this commercial, there are men and (one) woman running around with gun apps on their phones, which shoot real bullets. Schwarzenegger is seen walking through the battle, when someone shoots at him. Schwarzenegger pulls out the shotgun phone, in typical Terminator fashion, and defends himself. Again, as in Arnold Strikes, we have Schwarzenegger facing off against some average looking men, showing how superior he is. At the end, we are treated to a cheesy one liner, and the typical walk-away-from-explosion hero ending, while the average men are presumably left in the aftermath.
While ad campaigns like Mobile Strike's are usually passed off as a neat commercial, they can be detrimental to young men's ideas of masculinity. Young men seeing a badass Terminator dealing with hordes of enemies singlehandedly will be influenced by it. In the worst cases it can lead to some feeling inadequate and unmanly. What Mobile Strike and similar companies need to do is be more diverse. Instead of depicting men through one version of masculinity, namely the macho, tough man in dangerous situations, young men should see a variety of men and versions of masculinity. For now, while this kind of advertising is prevalent, take each one with a grain of salt. You do not need to be like Schwarzenegger. The next time an advertisement targeting you pops up, take the time to buy the product for the product, not to be like the figure promoting it.
We've launched an ad that appears in apps like Mobile Strike!
Watch the video here
Sources:
* O'Neil, James M. "Men's Gender Role Conflict: Psychological Costs, Consequences, and an Agenda for Change." Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association, 2015. Web.
* Vokey, Megan, Tefft, Bruce and t, Chris. "An Analysis of Hyper-Masculinity in Magazine Advertisements." Sex Roles 68.9-10 (2013): 562-76. ProQuest. Web. 12 March 2016.
* D. Thomas, Kimberly and F. Levant, Ronald. "Does the Endorsement of Traditional Masculinity Ideology Moderate the Relationship between Exposure to Violent Video Games and Aggression?" Journal of Men's Studies 20.1 (2012): 47-56. ProQuest. Web. 21 April 2016.
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