Abstract:

This study is about how TV commercials and their fashion elements affect, how women are shown. The current study looks at how people look up to their favourite TV commercial actress and how they want to be like her in terms of style and personality. Employing quantitative survey responses from 360 women who usually watch fashion commercials on TV. The data show that hairstyles, makeup, and the clothes models wear are very popular with female viewers. A study found that a lot of people who watch TV buy the clothes, accessories, and makeup that their favourite stars wear, and 92% of those people are women. A lot of people are also happy to have these things. A study on fashion and how models are shown in TV ads also found that viewers thought the way female models and actresses were portrayed on TV went against religious beliefs

Key Words:

Fashion TV Commercials, Modern Lifestyles, Female College Students, Models, Actor and Actress

Introduction

Today we live in a society, in which we are surrounded by certain social, political and religious conflicts and problems. This might be the one reason that people turn to the entertainment content of television for diversion. It might be one of the reasons why infotainment and entertainment TV commercials of television are popular and highest-rated TV commercials. Television is still an important source of entertainment that plays an essential part in community progress and in adopting new trends and styles. Television in the living room and drawing rooms daily delivering entertainment content fashion shows, dramas, magazine shows, advertisements, talk shows, opinions, music videos and other genres of communication at large  (Sharma, 2018). Television commercials have a very potent and powerful ability to influence its viewers. According to theories of television, people try to adopt and copy many characters and styles presented on television. Entertainment, education and guidance are the basic functions of television. Through its TV commercials, it can play an important role in the development and progress of society and it may bring new trends and flairs of culture (Khalid, 2013).

Like a mirror, advertising reflects reality, although a skewed one in certain contexts. According to a recent study by Raza, Bakar, and Mohamad (2017), advertisers tend to highlight the positive aspects of a product while downplaying its negative aspects. This undermines the original goal of advertising and allows society to internalise the new values that the advertiser has created.  Ads must be meticulously crafted in accordance with societal standards, public opinion, customs, and current legislation (Chan, Tsang, & Ma, 2015).

Television in Pakistan

At the start of the '80s, a minuscule cable television network in Karachi was restfully introduced without any prior licensing or regulatory terms and conditions. Experimental cabal television started working with miniature equipment. According to the Director Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the cable network operations were revolutionized by the availability of new satellite cable channels. Service providers who used to rely on the cassettes also felt the need to initiate satellite-receiving dishes to make available an assortment of broadcasts to their subscribers. This experimental and untried setup in Karachi gradually boomed and promptly entered into the form of business.  (cited at www.thenews.com.pk).

In January 2000, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) initiated license issuing to the cable service providers. From 1998 to 2000 the process of legalization of cable television networks started. The legal functioning of cable television networks in June 2000 instigated a new arena of television in Pakistan (cited at www.prr.hec.gov.pk). The change is not brought in its technology only but also in style of presentation and depiction likewise broadcasting colour TV commercials and transmission through the fibre, cable dishes and satellites are another prominent feature of change. Fundamentally TV history is a history of equipment and course of action, finances, sociology, amusement and news broadcast (Folkerts and Lacy, 2004). 

The next step for cable TV is digital television. Digital television not only provides video and audio signals that are free of distortion and interference, but it also manages to accomplish this while using significantly less spectrum than analogue television. A vital part of the continuing digital revolution that is paving the way for the information society, digital television (DTV) may also connect with other digital media, computer networks, and communication systems in a seamless manner, allowing for datacasting and multimedia interactive services  (WU et al., 2016).

More than three-quarters of Pakistani adults (76.2%) watch television at least once a week, making it the most popular form of mass media in the country. The percentage of Pakistanis watching television has increased dramatically from 56.4% in the previous week in 2011 to 89.3% in urban areas and 69.3% in rural regions. The educational level of Pakistanis is also a strong predictor of their television viewing habits (GALLUP, 2018).

Significance of Study

A statistical analysis by the Women’s Television Centre has indicated alarming numeric on the depiction of female models and actresses in television. Evaluating how consumers interpret new style trends and shifting social and moral standards in TV ads has become an important topic with the rise of commercial media, especially television channels. We need to know how Pakistani society views these commercials and how much of an impact they have on people's values because presently there are a lot of international channels airing in Pakistan and promoting foreign culture through TV adverts. The Women's Television Centre found disturbing numbers in its statistical study of female actors and models. Commercials on television and in entertainment outlets perpetuate the idea that a thin body is indicative of a woman's value. More than three-quarters of female TV models and actresses are shown as skinny, and just one in twenty is taller than normal, according to recent surveys. Negative comments on the actress's body are common for more passionately portrayed actresses. Especially among younger female viewers, studies show that exposure to images of thin, young, airbrushed bodies can have an effect on their sense of self-worth, the way they act and speak, and the formation of their own unique identities. In addition, although women models carried an 8% lower weight than the typical woman twenty years ago, the current crop of models carries a 23% lower weight. For the average woman, the messages and substance of television regarding thinness and beauty perpetuate the idea that she is perpetually flawed and that she must constantly strive to improve her body. According to Hawkins et al. (2004), female actors and models are portrayed as a commodity.

Although the impact of personal values on consumer behaviour is widely known, little research has been done on how these beliefs affect customers' ethical behaviour when it comes to fashion consumption. Thus, the goal of the current study is to determine whether or not customers' behavioural intentions to purchase ethical fashion are predicted by their personal values.

Objectives of Study

1. To explore the female viewers’ consumption patterns of TV commercials

2. To document the association the viewers feel with the models and actresses.

3. To document the extent of female viewers' adoption of a new lifestyle through the portrayal of TV commercials. 

Literature Review

The literature review is unquestionably the most important part of the study investigation into social phenomena and is also a crucial part of the research design. It enables the researcher to access prior pertinent research on his research subject from books, the internet, and other pertinent sources reviews of the literature are a useful resource for determining the impact of TV models on college students is a key objective of the current study. New fashions and trends that come from television have the potential to alter existing civilizations' social and lifestyle norms in ways that set them apart from their native ways. The way that female models are portrayed can have a variety of effects on young people. With the rise of multinational conglomerates, it is impossible to overlook the globalisation of television. Business moguls have been distributing, moving, and organising the global commercialization of their products through international TV networks.

Today's female actors and models are typically airbrushed, intelligent, fair-haired, youthful, and underweight for their height. This has little to do with the form and demeanour of everyday women; female actors and models who appear on television are professionals in makeup and hairstyling. Because these depictions of women are based on false information and fail to reflect real women, they are condemned and restricted. It's ideal that female models are portrayed as being one typecast. A major source of worry has been the representation of female TV actors and models on television, as many people are greatly impacted by what they see and hear on TV screens. The ideal image of female models and actors is demanded of women in exchange (quoted at: https://sites.google.com/site/Mediasportrayalonwomen/Home/the-perfect-woman-1950-vs—today).

Given that women make up half of the population and have important tasks to play, they are an essential component of society. However, feminist scholars, activists, and researchers have serious concerns with the portrayal of women as objects of desire, sex symbols, and submissive in behaviour. Sharma et al (2021), investigate the ways in which the stereotyped role representation of women in advertising influences consumers' inclination to purchase, as well as the disparities in the perceptions of Indian men and women regarding this issue. The study uses MANOVA statistics to determine whether there are any noteworthy variations in the willingness to purchase between the sexes. The process of finding the latent variables involves factor analysis, both exploratory and confirmatory. By using structural equation modelling statistics to validate the proposed hypotheses, the impact on purchase intent is ascertained.

Anschutz, et al, (2009), examined the effects of body TV ads using less slender models on the eating habits, mood, and body image of young women. The study's experimental research approach investigated how exposure to TV commercials featuring less slender and less thin models affected participants' happiness, anxiety related to their bodies, and food consumption in comparison to ads featuring slender models. 110 women were exposed to neutral films with two parts of each advertising. The two ad halves included neutral commercials (n = 39) or true ads showing either less slender (n = 32) or skinny models (n = 39). Unrestrained snack food consumption was permitted for spectators as they watched the TV advertisements. Also evaluated were their anxiousness focused on their bodies and mood. Advertising featuring overweight models elicited a more negative mood and reduced appetite in responders than advertising featuring slender women, but statistical testing revealed no effects on body-focused anxiety.

Ali and Yousaf (2018), examined the impact of television commercialism on societal norms and values. According to the definition of advertising, is defined as "any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, and services by an identified sponsor." Accordingly, the study aims to reveal the impact of advertisements on societal norms and the role they play in people's lives. To explore the issue in this context, a quantitative research design is used. In order to gather data, the researcher gave the respondents the questionnaires themselves. 150 television watchers from the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad make up the study's population. The chi-square test and statistical methods were used to analyse the data. The study will be helpful in illuminating the impact of various ad formats on the media and TV viewership.

Most studies on the influence of portrayal of females have concentrated on magazine influences.  Most studies are based on the experimental research design, analyses of these studies revealed that female viewers feel much more disappointed about their own bodies after the stimulation of twiggy images whereas when viewers are exposed to normal-sized models or neutral images (Halliwell & Dittmer, 2005). It is vital to inspect the relationship between the portrayal of women models using television commercials, and other different contents and their influence on the viewers, the results of the study indicate a significant correlation between the exposure and influence of women in television ads and other TV commercials and formats (Meriwether & Caruthers, 2004). Furthermore, there is the likelihood that female viewers are more repeatedly exposed to TV commercials, and influence on skinny and slim ideals of women images. Most of these studies used correlation designs and found that frequent exposure to (thin ideal) television was related to higher body dissatisfaction (Bissell & Zhou, 2004). 

Aybike and Ertike (2020) examined Three hundred college students' study to study the impact of commercials on people aged 17 to 25. They were then given twenty distinct advertisements featuring various products. A survey was administered to students in order to assess their attitudes towards and comprehension of television advertisements. The results showed that students between the ages of 17 and 25 thought TV ads were exciting and humorous. They don't find TV commercials to be dull in the slightest, yet repetition irritates them. The response to the question, "The advertisement depicted the life that I'd like to live," was astounding. The majority of students (93%) said they thought TV ads were lovely and appealing. In addition to offering a product for sale, the commercial also promotes a lifestyle and social status. Advertisements and the trends they portray have the power to captivate young people.

Hedrick et al. (2019), state that women are often depicted wearing sexually suggestive dress coats, which are symbolic of clothing that elongates, intensifies, overstresses, or suggests engrossment of any aspect of the body, from head to toe. Many women want their body type and shape to be displayed or depicted on television. Which draws in viewers, and as a result, women imitate the stance and fashions seen on the screens. The majority of those responsible for this outpouring are female actors and models. As a result, through the portrayal of female models, television serves as a viable source of knowledge on manners and fashion. Bissell (2014), in a research study conducted at Macalester College, examined the contents of television and their impact on the adolescent mind. The study looked at how television generates, cultivates, and promotes a wide range of ideas and theories that have a significant impact on viewers' self-perceptions. The study's findings look at how students relate to television in terms of their conceptions of their own bodies and identities. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate how the ideal female figure is portrayed on television and how this may have an adverse influence on students. Young female viewers are persuaded to watch television entertainment programming featuring women, which boosts their self-esteem. In entertainment television, the ideal of elegance, delicacy, and exquisiteness is to possess a slender, intelligent, appealing physique, and satisfying qualities in order to gain popularity and favour (http://suite101.com/a/television-portrayal-of-women).

It is not unreasonable, then, that many women would then strive to model themselves after such thin women who reap social rewards in the television, in hopes of attaining similar outcomes (Bissell, 2004). Individuals habitually and actively look for television models “to fulfil their needs for information about normative codes of appearance and behaviour” (Hendriks, 2002). The messages that the television sends to women about slimness, slightness, and adorableness speak to "common" women that they are always trying to modify and that the physique of the women is an object to be consummated. A lot of research studies have been conducted in developed countries that theorized the television influence of female models and actresses on the attitude and behaviour of young audiences. To be remained uninfluenced of society by the overwhelming objectification of models and actresses is impossible (Royo, et al., 2008). Adolescent females are often subjected to performances of their adored newcomers, who rapidly transform into spiritual beings through the use of objects and portrayals of women. Music holds a significant place in our lives, as evidenced by the fact that nearly 70% of individuals aged 13 and above observe and listen to music programmes with enthusiasm at least once per day, and 90% of people listen to music at least several times per week (Bakula, 2012). Furthermore, it has been found that 13% of children aged eleven to fourteen are regularly exposed to music videos. This finding is consistent with the viewing patterns observed in other television genres, including reality television, talk programmes, and news TV commercials (Roberts & Foehr, 2004). Moreover, music videos provide a substantial opportunity to examine the portrayal of gender and sexuality in television not only because they frequently feature romance and sex, but also because they can convey quite potent messages and serve as evidence of stereotypes concerning race, gender, and sexual orientation (Arnett, 2002; Jhally, 2007).

The manner in which spectators live is profoundly impacted by well-known music videos, and the personas depicted in these videos contribute to the formation of new cultures. As the song is played repeatedly, everyone affirms and adores it. By depicting various social gatherings, it establishes connections with young audiences regarding the adult world, while the artist's canvas conveys information regarding emerging trends and styles (Brown, 2003). An increasing number of individuals regard music videos as a vital component of culture due to their distinctive musical presentation. Presently, the culture portrayed in these videos is that of youth, whereas videos of all melodious genres have fulfilled their initial function of serving as promotional platforms for vocalists or performers (Andsager et al., 2003).              

Hypotheses

? It is more likely that female viewers take more interest in dramas and music than in Fashion Commercials.

? It is more likely that viewers are influenced by female models and TV actresses in the adoption of dressing, makeup and hairstyles.

Methodology

In this current study, the researcher adopted a quantitative survey research method. The survey method is considered to be an apt method for collecting information and data analyzing, which is presented in those selected private television channels’ morning shows. The population is the female students enrolled in Female college students of Lahore. And, stratified method for specification of the demographic characteristics is adopted and the population is divided on the basis of education strata based on a single criterion; education--Masters and Bachelors. After specifying the strata in the stratified method, the convenient sampling method of is adopted to collect data. A total of three hundred and sixty, females of Masters – Bs TV commercials of the discipline of Natural and Social Sciences in equal proportion was selected of the Female college students of Lahore.

Findings

A multitude of studies referenced in Chapter 2 demonstrate the immense prevalence of entertainment television commercials among viewers, especially women. Additionally, this study demonstrates a noteworthy correlation between the viewing patterns of female viewers and dramatised television commercials. The study of data accumulation, organisation, analysis, explanation, and presentation constitutes statistics. It is applicable to all facets of this, including data collection planning and the design of experiments and surveys (Dodge, 2003). Assembling conclusions and analysing statistical data is facilitated by statistics. The utilisation of statistics facilitates the estimation of the precise locations of numerous complex phenomena (Singh, 2001). Parametric and nonparametric statistics are the two varieties of statistics. In nonparametric statistics, the Chi-Square is a technique. Karl Pearson initially investigated the characteristics of the chi-square test distribution in 1900 (Pearson, 1983). This method was employed to illustrate whether the observed frequency distribution deviates from the anticipated frequency distribution. The chi-square test, which employs frequencies rather than means and variances is applicable to data at the nominal or ordinal level (Mamahlodi, 2006). The Chi-Square test is without a doubt the most significant and widely employed nonparametric statistical instrument in existence. The Chi-Square test is employed to examine the discrepancy between a given sample and a previously established or fictitious distribution, such as that which could be anticipated by chance or probability. Additionally, it is possible to use this test to ascertain the distinctions between two or more real samples (Key, 1997). When conducting research on mass television, it is customary to establish a level of probability of 0.05 or 0.01, indicating that significant findings occur by chance or random error one or five times out of every 100 (Wimmer and Dominick, 2006). The researchers established probability levels of 0.05 (p < 0.05) for this investigation. This signifies that the researcher is confronted with a 5% probability of erroneously deciding whether to embrace the research hypothesis or reject the null hypothesis.

Table 1.

ANOVA
		Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
The role played by Female Models of TV Fashion Commercials in the adoption of dressing styles.	Between Groups	.900	1	.900	1.00	.002
	Within Groups	322.156	358	.900
	Total	323.056	359

The ANOVA value shows if the value is less than (p  .05) the results will be significant but if the results are greater than (p  .05) not significant.

Table 2

ANOVA
		Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
The role played by Female Models of TV Fashion Commercials in the adoption of  language and accent	Between Groups	1.111	1	1.111	.929	.003
	Within Groups	428.344	358	1.196
	Total	429.456	359




The ANOVA value shows if the value is less than (p  .05) the results will be significant but if the results are greater than (p  .05) not significant.

 




According to these ANOVA tables' findings, female models and TV actresses in TV commercials play significant roles in the lives of female viewers in the adoption of dressing styles. Furthermore, female models and TV actresses play a significant role in the adoption of language and accents used by the female models and TV actresses in TV commercials.




Table 3

Correlations
Time spent on watching TV Fashion Commercials		Influenced by the portrayal of dancers	Influenced by the portrayal of  singers
	Pearson Correlation	-.049	-.103
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.349	.051
	N	360	360

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

 


The relation between time spent watching TV commercials and the influence of the portrayal of women as singers and dancers was tested through correlation tests and results indicate that a significant relation exists between time spent watching TV commercials and influence from the women portrayal as singers on the female viewers. However, no significant relation is found between time spent on TV commercials of television channels and the influence of women's portrayal as dancers on female viewers.

Conclusion

The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the impact of female models featured in fashion advertisements on the female viewership of Lahore's female college students. Extensive research was conducted to identify the various forms of influence that television fashion commercials featuring female models and actresses have generated. A comprehensive survey was designed to gather and record the perspectives of female consumers of television fashion commercials. A sample of 360 viewers was utilised for this purpose. Ongoing investigations are also being conducted to analyse the impact of television actresses and female models on the incorporation of modern lifestyle elements, such as diverse fashion choices and accessory trends. The empirical results of the research indicate that female models and actresses have a significant impact on the audience. The study's statistics indicate that viewers favour a variety of fashions and accessories. As an illustration, a significant majority of female spectators (86.4%) emulate the fashion choices made by female models and television actresses. Additionally, the examination of the empirical data revealed that hairstyles (72.5%) and makeup (71.9%) exhibited by the models and television heroines in the fashion commercial were embraced by female viewers. A significant proportion of the participants regard television personalities as role models and aspire to emulate their demeanour, attire, and fashion choices. This finding supports the research hypothesis that there is a greater likelihood that viewers' fashion choices, cosmetics applications, and hairstyles will be influenced by female models and TV actresses. 

The research findings of Mansoor (2005) additionally bolster the hypothesis of the present study. Her research demonstrated that fifty percent of viewers purchase the cosmetics, accessories, and attire favoured by ninety-two percent of female serial actresses. Moreover, a considerable proportion of individuals find aesthetic appeal in these accessories.

References

• Ali., & Yousaf. (2018), “Effects of Commercialism on Social Norms Effects of TV Commercialism on the Social Norms.” JPDC, 2(2), https://doi.org/10.36968/JPDC.2018.I02.02
• Arnett, J. (2002). The sounds of sex: Sex in teens’ music and music videos.
• Aybike, S. ERTÄ°K (2020). PhD Beykent University E-5 Gurpinar Yol Ayrimi Beylikduzu, Ä°stanbul Turkey, International Journal of Business and Social Science 2(3).
• Brown. (2003). "New research explores effects of rap music on adolescents." Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter 19.6: 1. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO.
• Bissell, K. L. (2014). Sports model/sports mind: The relationship between Entertainment and sports media exposure, sports participation, and body image distortion in Division I female athletes. Mass Communication & Society, 7 (4), 453-473. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327825mcs0704_5
• Folkerts, J., & Lacy, S. (2004). The Media In Your Life: An Introduction to Mass Communication (Pearson Education, Inc.), P.251, 258, 263-64.
• Hendriks, A. (2019). Examining the effects of hegemonic depictions of female bodies on television: A call for theory and programmatic research. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19(1), 106-123. https://doi.org/10.1080/07393180216550
• Jhally, S. (2007). Dreamworlds 3: Desire, sex, and power In music video [Motion picture]. (Available from Media Education Foundation, 60 Masonic Street, Northampton, MA 01060)
• Sharma, S., & Bumb, A. (2021). Role Portrayal of Women in Advertising: An Empirical Study. Journal of International Women's Studies, 22(9), 236- 255. https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol22/iss9/16