In Germany, the women’s soccer world cup is just about to begin, and for the first time the public, as well as advertisers and TV stations, are paying much more attention. Presently, female soccer players on the German national team earn (on average) somewhere between 3-6 thousand dollars (AU) per month- a far cry from the multi-million dollar contracts many male team members have scored. In the past, the women’s tournament was only partly aired, and it gained little public attention.
But a new campaign highlighting the players’ sex appeal is attracting fans, attention, and potentially larger salaries. The players are portrayed as sexy and feminine, not as masculine women, and although the strategy undermines their sporting skill and athleticism in favour of promoting their looks, it has reaped many benefits- the whole series will be aired, and far more major advertisers are sponsoring the team as well as individual players (a survey of advertising decision makers revealed that female athletes ‘ sex appeal is the third most important consideration when awarding contracts).
Many of the women from the team posed for playboy, and this ad for electronics company Expert plays up the women’s beauty, with the skill of the game playing only a minor role in the ad.
Experts warn that this approach is not sustainable however, and for female sports to continue their popularity, advertisers need focus on their athleticism and skill, not just their looks.
The Women’s Tennis Association’s recent campaign ‘Strong is Beautiful’ was a great example of women in sport being appreciated for how they play the game- despite being beautiful and skimpily dressed, the camera focuses on the women’s rippling muscles and physical exertion instead of just their looks.
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