The Hierarchy of Needs Essay Example
The Hierarchy of Needs Essay Example

The Hierarchy of Needs Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (1100 words)
  • Published: December 27, 2017
  • Type: Research Paper
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After completing a few college terms, Abraham Maslow settled down with his partner and had two children. He later attended the University of Wisconsin in Wisconsin where he became interested in psychology and worked extensively with Harry Harlow. During the 1940s and 1950s, Maslow developed the Hierarchy of Needs model which focuses on human motivation. According to this model, unfulfilled needs drive humans and are organized into a pyramid format. The foundation of this pyramid is made up of ‘Physiological Needs,’ which include those related to oxygen, food, and water.

The most crucial needs that an individual seeks to fulfill when deprived of all requirements are called physiological needs, which form the base of the pyramid. Safety needs become active once individuals have satisfied their physiological needs and take center stage. Adults rarely recognize their security needs except during times of crisis, wh

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ereas children often display signs of insecurity and a desire for safety. At the top of the pyramid is the social requirement, including friendships, relationships, love, a sense of community, and acceptance from others.

It is essential to possess the capacity for both giving and receiving love and affection, while also cultivating a strong sense of self-esteem. This involves having confidence and garnering respect, allowing individuals to feel valued in society. After fulfilling one's basic needs, there arises a yearning for self-actualization - achieving one's full potential. Maslow refers to this as an individual's innate compulsion to realize their purpose.

Abraham famously stated that musicians must create music, artists must paint, and poets must write poetry. Maslow's hierarchy of needs categorizes physical necessities like food, water and safety as fundamental while higher level requirements include menta

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aspects such as self-esteem, relationships and friendships. This theory can be applied to advertising where products which satisfy a person's needs are likely to capture their attention. For this analysis, the focus is on underwear with Triumph's 1969 advertisement compared to Wonderbra's 2005 advertisement.

According to the Triumph advertisement, the model strolls through a cluster of Arab men who appear to be interested in purchasing her. The advertisement implies that by wearing this particular type of underwear, affluent men will desire you. While the model is highlighted by a spotlight, it is quite far-fetched. The advertisement is considered both sexist and racist, and wouldn't be permitted to be disseminated currently.

The new ad features a woman wearing only a black bra with the slogan 'no body is perfect' implying that the bra will enhance your appearance. The shot is a medium close-up, focusing on the model's chest where the 'Wonderbra' is situated. In contrast to the old ad, where the model's light skin stands out against a dark background and blue & white patterned underwear, the new ad features a light-skinned model against a dull background wearing black underwear. Despite this change, the black underwear still stands out on the model's light skin.

Both Triumph adverts feature a model wearing the product, with the first one showing her under a bright spotlight and dimmed lights on Arab men to ensure she receives the most attention. In the newer advert, the model is similarly spotlit, though not as strongly as in the first ad. The typography in both ads is sans serif and white, with enlarged and bolded brand names and slogans to maximize visibility. The newer

advert sets the text against a black background with yellow text for added contrast.

Both advertisements utilized the san serif font due to its popularity and legibility. The first ad depicted a confident woman in her twenties walking through a group of Arab men who appeared to be buying her. In contrast, the second ad featured a model in her thirties posing with a smile and hands on hips while promoting the 'Wonderbra.' The language used in the first ad was intended as a joke, mentioning 'undies to be sold in.' However, this slogan reinforced the offensive and sexist depiction of a woman being sold while wearing lingerie. As such, this advertisement could potentially offend women and perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

The newer ad uses sarcastic language with the phrase 'let's keep in touch' and emphasizes the meaning through the picture. The old ad features a stereotypical product shot of Triumph underwear on a woman model surrounded by Arab men, which is racist and offensive. The inclusion of a white woman among dark-skinned Arab men implies that Arab men like to buy white women. In contrast, the 'Wonderbra' ad shows only a woman model without any additional people in the frame, directing all attention to her. Both ads feature full-chested models with good figures, highlighting the importance of physical attractiveness in product advertising. If the models were unattractive or overweight, they would not be as effective in selling products like Triumph underwear.

The older advertisement aims to fulfill the need for self-esteem by portraying a confident model standing semi-naked. The new advertisement also targets the needs for self-esteem and self-actualization by using a picture and the slogan 'no

body is perfect', but it overall suggests that the 'Wonderbra' can make one perfect. Despite their differences, the two ads share some similarities. Both prominently feature models wearing the lingerie and are centered around their physique. The models are similarly young, beautiful, and have ample cleavage.

Both the old and new ads share similar features, such as a non-distracting dark background (black in the old ad and black with hints of pink on the sides in the new ad) that keeps focus on the model wearing underwear. The target market for both is between 20 to 35 years old due to their youthful and fashionable appearance, even though the bras themselves appear to be aimed at middle-aged individuals. Although both ads emphasize the bra as their main feature, they differ in text: while only displaying brand name and website address, the new ad omits any product description. In contrast, the old ad includes a brief paragraph about its product along with brand name at bottom. Additionally, whereas only one model is featured in the new advertisement, a group of Arab men are included alongside a solo model in its predecessor.

The contrast in the portrayal of Arab men in the old and new advertisements can be attributed to differing storytelling purposes. The former utilizes a long shot to encompass additional individuals, while the latter focuses solely on showcasing the model with a medium close-up shot. Additionally, unlike the bold text on a black box background in the new advert, there is no separate attention-grabbing background for lackluster writing included in the old advertisement.

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