The Right Type | Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Spring 2016 | Thesis adviser: Spencer Barnes | Honors level: With Highest Honors
The Right Type: An Examination of Typography and Gender Stereotypes in Sports Advertising
by Keely McKenzie '16
It has been proven by many studies that gender stereotyping exists in the sports industry, especially in the context of sports advertising. In order to understand these stereotypes in advertising it is necessary to look into design elements of ads, specifically typography. This study examined 164 ads from Sports Illustrated, a weekly sports magazine, and focused on elements of gender and font. This study found no detectable link between typography and gender and also found that women are underrepresented, yet valued by a wide range of audiences. Typography must be more thoroughly studied before it can be analyzed in the context of specific areas of advertising, however the results of this study found that it is worthwhile to feature women more prominently in sports advertisements.
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The Hussman School Honors Program is available to students wishing to pursue an original and substantial research or creative project under direct supervision of a faculty adviser during their senior year. Learn more at mj.unc.edu/Honors.