*Metrosexual The Beautiful Man

Metrosexuality: A cross-cultural study of male representations in

Hong Kong, United Kingdom and United States Esquire Magazine
* Metrosexual. (n.) A dandyish narcissist in love with not only himself, but also his
urban lifestyle; a straight man who is in touch with his feminine side. (Pressman, 2003)

Working Paper
Senior Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Contact Info:
Samuel Hon
[email protected]
University of Wisconsin Madison
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Marketing Manager, Pacific Corporate & Title Services
914 S Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
1800.230.4988 x 5012

Introduction
Metrosexual. (n.) A dandyish narcissist in love with not only himself, but also his
urban lifestyle; a straight man who is in touch with his feminine side. (Pressman, 2003)
Metroseuxal is another buzzword / term such as Gen X and bobo that was originally
invented by authors to describe a specific group of people. Metrosexuality was first
developed by Mark Simpson in his 1994 book Male Impersonators. According to
Simpson (2003), metrosexuality is a new, narcissistic, self-conscious kind of masculinity
produced by film, advertising, and glossy magazines to replace traditional repressed,
unmoisturished, unreflexive, unmediated masculinity. However, this term has become
widely used in the United States media and the advertising industry in the late 1990s,
referring to straight men who posses feminine traits and care about fashion, grooming,
cleaning and using beauty products (Meredith and Wells, 2003; Real Men, 2003; Trubo
2003). However, very little academic research exists on the meaning of metrosexuality for
masculinity. This study examines modern masculinity and metrosexuality across and within
national cultures of Hong Kong, United Kingdom and United States.
Femininity has been one of the main research interests for the past three decades
and there are numerous studies on the representation of women in the media such as TV
and advertising (e.g., Courtney and Lockeretz, 1971; Artz, Munger, and Purdy, 1999) and
content analyses of women related to beauty and body image (Cheng, Frith and Shaw,
2003).There are also studies on gender roles for women in the U.S. and across cultures
(Biswas, Olsen and Carlet, 1992; Cheng, 1997; Furnham, Abramsky and Gunter, 1997;
Browne, 1998; Furnham and Mak, 1999; Beggan, 2001; Tai and Chan, 2001; Nelson and
Paek, 2002).

However, there are limited cross-cultural studies on masculinity and mens

images(Windholz, 1999/2000; Gates, 2001; Tincknell and Chambers, 2002). Also,
although media across the globe are widely discussing the newly emerged phenomenon metrosexuality - there is almost no academic research on this phenomenon. Since
metrosexuality and masculinity are so closely related to each other, this study aims to
explore both issues in a global perspective. Theories of culture suggest that the nature of
masculinity varies across cultures. According to Hofestedes Country Masculinity (MAS)
Index (Hofstede, 1984, p.189), Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the United States are
culturally different and share a different concept of masculinity, with the U.S.
demonstrating distinct gender roles and Hong Kong showing more similar gender roles and
the United Kingdom falling somewhere in between.
This study focuses on Esquire magazine (see Appendix A for target markets), one
of the leading mens magazines that is published in 11 countries. In order to investigate
masculinity and metrosexuality across distinct cultures, we have used Hong Kong, the
United Kingdom and the United States versions of Esquire in the period of three alternating
issues in 2003 as the samples for the content analysis. Apart from the content analysis of
both editorial content and advertisements, we have also examined the cover models and
male images in these magazines qualitatively.

Magazines, just like any other medium, act as a socializing force, teaching
individuals how to look, to dress, and to act. As suggested by Parker (1996), exposure to
body images in advertising and visual media makes individuals more conscious of their
bodily state and induces them to seek out role models of physical beauty. However, when

real life bodies do not conform to media images, negative effects can result. Arlidge (2001)
of The Observer cited a study by the London School of Economics that found images of
male models with perfect physiques made men feel angry, frustrated and physically
inadequate. (p.7). Also, according to a recent article reported in U.S. GQ magazine, there
are an intriguing number of men who had plastic surgery to enhance their images in 2002:
233, 771 men had Botox to reduce wrinkles, 54,057 U.S. men received collagen injections,
16, 551 U.S. men underwent breast reduction and 40 U.S. men had enlarged their nipples
(Thornton, 2003). These figures coincide with the concept of metrosexality.
However, to what extent do men across different nation cultures share the same
kind of contemporary masculinity? Is metrosexual an ideal that media created or a true
reflection of man in reality? What contemporary images are shown?
Literature Review/Theoretical Background
Cultural Differences in Values and Communication Style
The masculinity/femininity construct reflects gender role differentiation patterns,
with masculine societies deconstructing distinct social gender roles and feminine cultures
showing overlapping social gender roles (Hofstede 2001), In feminine cultures, males can
take typically female jobs without being seen as sissy; household work is shared between
husbands and wives (DeMooji, 1998, p.81). According to Hosfstede (2001) UK/US
score higher (66, 65) on this index than does Hon Kong (score 57). Therefore, we expect
gender role differentiation in general in US/UK Males are more macho and men in less
masculine countries are allowed to be gentle, feminine, weak (Hofstede, 2001, p.312).
The three sample countries also deliver distinct communication styles. High context
culture communication refers to those who are involved in close relationships and have

extensive information networks among family, friends, colleagues, and clients.

(DeMooij, 1998, p.157) Low context culture communication refers to those who do not
have many information networks and require a great deal of detailed information from
other sources. (DeMooij, 1998, p.157) While most of the Asian countries, such as Japan,
score high on culture contexts; Americans are on the low side (Hofstede 2001). In
advertising, high-context can be recognized by the use of indirect communication using
less copy and more symbols. Low-context communication cultures tend to use more copy,
argumentation, facts, and data than high-context cultures. (p.158) In addition, Hofstede
(2001) found that individualistic cultures are generally low-context and collectivistic
cultures are generally high-context. (p.158) Since individualistic cultures generally use
direct mode of communication, we would expect United States and United Kingdom have
more direct communication (direct address and direct gaze) in magazine advertisements
than Hong Kong.
Masculinity
Berger, Wallis and Watson (1995) states that masculinity, the asymmetrical pendant to
more critically investigated femininity, is a vexed term, variously inflected, multiply
defined, not limited to straightforward descriptions of maleness (p. 2). Masculinity takes a
variety of forms for men and it differs according to sexuality, race, class and age. These
complex factors affect the concept and degree of masculinity in different countries. It is
noticed the society and media hold very distinct stereotypes towards different ethnic and
race groups, such as Asian, European and Caucasian American. (We did not examine other
race groups such as African American in this study due to the nature of male imagery
presented in the sample magazines.) For Caucasians, the most common dominant ideology

of masculinity represents ideals of strength, toughness, coolness, attractiveness,

heterosexuality and Whiteness (OShaughnessy, 2003). However, these ideals are very
difficult for men to attain in reality. With the increased cultural attention given to mens
bodies and the resurgence of their imagery within the media, men nowadays pay more
attention to media and work to improve their physical appearance (Wienke, 1998; Shilling,
1993). These effects are further pushed forward with the new ideal metrosexual, which
simply suggests that men who possess feminine traits are ideal (more discussion later in the
paper). As men are now facing so many identities, so what makes a real man? A closer
examination within cultures is presented next.
Masculinity in Hong Kong - Chinese Men
Chinese traditional culture has strongly affected masculinity in China, including Hong
Kong. Louie (2003, p.4) suggests that Wen-Wu is the masculinity ideal, which literally
means literary-martial, mental and physical attainment, and so on. History shows that
both the wen and wu type of male were desirable; and ;sexy, unlike Anglo-American
image until recently has been singularly dominated by the macho man (p.6). This notion
still holds true for the modern Chinese society, desirable male images in a Chinese
cultural context, as reflected in advertising and media, still appear akin to the weakling of
Western males (Louie, 2003, p.6). Yao (2002) states that the perfect man in the Chinese
cultural context is found in Mao Zedong, military strategist, poet and calligrapher, and
more famously in Chow Yun Fat, the Hong Kong actor who combines in his film presence
a propensity for ballistic, pistol-toting violence with vulnerability and an almost feudal
notion of honour and male-friendship. (p.1)

Muscular, male idols are very uncommon in Hong Kong. The majority of the
popular male actors and singers are non-muscular withlight complexions, and charisma,
which do not fit the U.S. representation of masculinity. Cultural values and physical build
are two of the major contributing factors. Due to the different body build that Asians
typically have, a muscular body is not as prevalent as in the United States. In addition,
there are traditional sayings in Chinese culture to praise men such as (your face is)
greenish-beautiful, white and clean, which literally suggests that men should look white
and clean. That also explains why there are a number of cosmetics advertisements in Hong
Kong targeted at men, such as a skin whitening product ad for men that featured a young
Hong Kong male celebrity as the model for the ad.
Another example which may show how the views of masculinity differ in Hong
Kong and the United States is the failure of the U.S. blockbuster movie, The Fast and the
Furious in Hong Kong. This movie flopped in Hong Kong because Hong Kong audience
prefers male lead actors that are handsome or at least charming, Van Diesel is considered
to be ugly and unappealing (Groves, 2002, p.1). That comment suggests that Hong Kong
people do not share the same concept of masculinity strong, tough and muscular - as
Americans.
In contrast, Englands soccer star, David Beckham, who possesses many feminine
traits such as being fashionable and well-groomed, receives celebrity status in Hong Kong.
According to the CEO of TBWA Advertising (Hong Kong), it is estimated that Beckham
has 40 millions fans in Asia. His popularity is not limited to the fact that he is an excellent
soccer player and a trend pioneer, but extends to his handsome face, stylish look and caring
personality; features that Asian admire (Choi, 2003). Specifically, many Chinese women

regard Beckham as an ideal husband because he is handsome, highly skilled, fashionable

and modest man who cares for his family. He is also clean-cut and lives cautiously no
smoking or drinking something Chinese especially like (Jen-Sui, 2003).
David Beckhams popularity in Hong Kong may also be demonstrated by the
frequent news reports following his travel to Hong Kong. Beckham-related news graced the
front cover of one of the most popular Hong Kong newspapers, Apple Daily, for four
consecutive days within a week in August, 2003. David Beckham, Catch Two Billion
Hearts of Dragon, Style Pioneer, Body of Brands, Beckham Mania, are some of the
bold headlines that showed the level that people in Hong Kong and in China admire the
British star, who represents a new generation of men.
Masculinity in the United Kingdom - British Men
According to Beynon (2002), there are three ideal versions of contemporary masculinities
in the United Kingdom.

The old man is relatively uninterested in fashion, is married and holding down
a regular job, and remains somewhat sexist and homophobic in outlook.
The new man is narcissistic, progressive and ambivalent in his sexuality,
yuppie-influenced and generally anti-sexist. When he first emerged he was
viewed variously as the same old wolf, but in designer clothing, a revolutionary
in his relations with women and his willingness to display the emotional side of
his nature, and a marketing opportunity for new visual codes.
The new lad is defensive about fashion, ambivalent in his attitude towards
women (he has pornographic notions of them rather than relationships with
them) and he believes life should be one huge alcohol and drug-induced party.
(Beynon, 2002, p.118)

Among the above three ideals, the new man seems to be the most popular ideal in
the United Kingdom. These ideals can be illustrated by the most influential British
celebrity football player, David Beckham. As discussed in the above Chinese masculinity
section, David Beckham defines a new trend of men both in United Kingdom and Hong

Kong. A recent study as reported in The Observer (Campbell, 2003), One Daivd Beckham:
Celebrity, Masculinity and the Soccerati, co-authored by Andrew Parker of Warwick
University and Ellis Cashmore of Staffordshire University, highlights how Beckham
successfully combines a mixture of traditional and modern values to create an inspirational
healthy male role model. The study praises Beckham's different public personae including
the national ambassador, aggressive competitor, loving husband, doting father, fashion
model and gay icon. This study further concludes that Beckham's massive popularity could
influence young males, encourage greater tolerance and acceptance of a new concept of
masculinity. As suggested by the author of the study, Beckham has helped create a
complex new concept of masculinity by defying expectations in areas such as what clothes
men should wear. Indeed, Beckham fits all of the contemporary masculinity ideals - he is a
combination of new man (nurturer, compassionate partner, paternally adept), new lad
(soccer hero, fashionable father, conspicuous consumer) and old industrial man (loyal
dedicated, stoic, bread-winning) (Campbell, 2003).
Masculinity in the United States -U.S. Men
Kervin (1990) conducted a content analysis on the U.S. Esquire magazines from the 1930s
to 1980s and he discovered that there were few changes in masculine representation over
the 50 years. There are several other studies on male images and advertising in a U.S.
context that support the premise that the stereotypical man is strong, muscular and
successful. According to Patterson (1999), the most stereotypical American men are the
cowboy, who is tough and unemotional; the superman, who conquers the world; and the
Mr. Universe, who is athletic or muscular. These stereotypes are all conveying the
manhood in the sense of strength, body build and independence. As Katz (1995) contends

that muscularity as masculinity, hundreds of ads in the past decade were of products
designed to help men develop muscular physiques. (p.135)
Although such stereotypes of American men are deeply rooted, it seems that the recent
media representations of men have shifted the definition of masculinity. Queer Eye for
the Straight Guy, the most recent popular TV show, which scored a historical rating for
BRAVO (Bravo, 2003), reflected how women and men, media and society started paying
more attention to mens appearances. This show intended to change the stereotypical
straight man into a more stylish and cultured ones with the help of five homosexual experts
in grooming, fashion, culture, food and interior design. The success of this show suggests
that men are paying more attention to their appearances and lifestyle, which brings up
another intriguing phenomenon metrosexuality.
Metrosexual A new breed of man that blurs gender lines
Metrosexuality is a new, narcissistic, self-conscious kind of masculinity produced
by film, advertising, and glossy magazines to replace traditional repressed, unmoisturished,
unreflexive, unmediated masculinity (Simpson 2003, p.2). It appears that the concept is
traveling cross-culturally. A worldwide marketing communication agency, EURO ESCG
Worldwide conducted a study in the United Kingdom and the United States to examine the
attitudes and ambitions of the 21st century man (Salzman, 2003).. It concluded that both
British and American men are becoming metrosexuals who have embraced customs and
attitudes once deemed the province of women. They also found that men today are
confident in their masculinity and in their sense of self. In addition, they like to look and
feel good and are knowledgeable about clothes regardless of whether people might
consider these things unmanly. This new breed of man does oppose the traditional male

10

roles. According to Schuyler Brown, one of the architects of the study, (metrosexuals) are
very secure in their sexuality and are comfortable getting facial or a pedicure. It doesnt
make them feel any less masculine and any less heterosexual (Trubo, 2003).
While the U.S. and U.K. media are saturated with the metrosexual phenomenon, the
term metrosexual seems uncommon in Hong Kong. However, with the overwhelming
popularity of David Beckham and the traditional values of men in Hong Kong, it is
believed that Hong Kong male ideals are metrosexual already. Yet, few studies have
empirically examined male images cross-culturally, particularly in the context of new
masculinities.
Research Questions and Hypotheses
Based on the literature review, an analysis of male images within male fashion magazine
(Esquire) across the three cultures was conducted. The following research questions are
developed.
RQ1: What are the similarities and differences (male representations) of the editorial
content, covers and advertisements of Esquire across cultures?
RQ2: What are the representations of men across cultures?
RQ3: Is metrosexuality reflected in Esquire across cultures?
If fashion and grooming are related most clearly to metrosexuality, then we might
expect the focus on these practices would show more emphasis on metrosexual
practices. Based on notions of masculinity, we propose the following hypotheses.
H1: Hong Kong will have the most fashion and grooming related editorial content, then
will the United Kingdom and the United States will have the least

11

H2: Hong Kong will have more ads featuring clothing and beauty products than will the
United Kingdom and United States.
H3: United States men (models) will be the most masculine (muscular, facial hair, tan skin
tone, tough, etc.), then United Kingdom, and Hong Kong will be the least masculine.
H4a: Hong Kong, as a high context culture city, will have fewer ads with direct address
than United States or United Kingdom, which are low context culture countries.
H4b: Hong Kong, as a high context culture city, will have fewer ads with direct gazes than
United States or United Kingdom, which are low context culture countries.
Methodology
Overview
Content analysis, which is a scientific, objective, systematic, quantitative and generalizable
description of communication content, is used as the primary method for this study.
(Kassarjian 1977)
Sample of Advertisements and Content
Magazines
Since this study aims to study images in global advertising, masculinity and marketing
strategies across nations, we used the international, long-tradition mens magazine
Esquire as the sample. Esquire magazine is one of the few mens magazines that is
published across the globe in eight languages and 11 countries (Esquire, 2003). Also,
Esquire is the leading magazine targeted at male fashion, lifestyle and money, which
reflects the values, entertainment and shifting ideology of men in different countries.
According to Granatstein (2003), the almost 70-year-old U.S. Esquire magazine ad pages

12

were up to 21 percent in April 2003. Therefore, it is believed that Esquire magazine should
be a good sample for representation.
Sampling National Cultures
Three versions of Esquire magazines Hong Kong, United Kingdom and United States
(see Appendix A) were selected for this study. These magazines were published in 2003
and three issues (January, March, May) of each magazine were then selected for coding
(see Appendix D for coding scheme) and data analysis. This sample with a total of nine
magazines from three different countries should help to eliminate samples with similar
advertisements and editorial content due to consecutive issues. The selected countries
represent unique and full array of different cultures, values, gender, race and men
definitions which are the focal points of this study. These samples each have their own
unique target market (Hong Kong Asian/Chinese men, United Kingdom
European/British men and United States American men) which illustrates the shifting
ideology of men and the trend of global advertising.
Sampling Coding Procedures
Four coders were selected for the coding process. Two Americans, whose native language
is English and have had previous exposure to United Kingdom media, coded the United
States and United Kingdom versions of the magazine. Two Chinese originally from Hong
Kong, whose native language are Chinese and Cantonese, coded the Hong Kong versions.
In order to ensure reliability, while two coders coded 100 percent of the magazines, the
other two coders coded 20 percent of the same magazines, and reliability test was then
performed.

13

Training was provided before coding and all coders learned the definition of all the
coding items with high independence of the measuring items. The training was followed by
a group discussion of any potential ambiguity of the coding items and consensus among all
coders was made before the actual coding.
The coding procedure was designed in threefold to examine the look and feel,
editorial content and advertising among different countries. Coders first examined the
preliminary features of the magazine which included: cover models, masculinity issues,
sizes of ads, complimentary items etc. Then, an investigation of editorial content was
performed. This included the counting of pages that were devoted to categories such as
grooming, fashion, entertainment, domestic and international news sources.
Finally, the major part of the coding was the examination of advertisements. 438
ads from three different countries were being examined. The coding items included the size
of advertisements, types of products, product nationality, degree of models masculinity
and femininity, etc. These items reflected the degree of global advertising being applied
and male ideology being implied among different cultures. The complete coding scheme is
presented in Appendix D. In addition, qualitative analysis of ads and male images in the
magazines was also performed in order to investigate the portrayals of men across national
cultures.
Results

We were interested in comparing male images and content across editorial content,
magazine covers, and advertising. Specifically, we wondered what are the similarities
and differences of the editorial content, covers and advertisements of Esquire across

14

cultures? What are the representations of men across cultures? Is metrosexuality

reflecting in Esquire across cultures?
Comparison of Editorial Content
For the examination of the editorial content, 20 items were categorized as belonging to:
fashion, beauty, women, sex, love/relationship, home, diet, information, celebrities,
politics, travel, money, cars, watches, electronics, product, night life, humor, andtable of
contents. Since the number of pages devoted to editorial content varies among these
magazines, the proportion of each category is calculated according to the number of
content pages of each magazine.
H1: Hong Kong will have the most fashion and grooming related editorial content,
then will the United Kingdom and the United States will have the least.
Hypothesis 1 is supported. Since this paper is focused on masculinity and metrosexual men,
categories such as fashion, beauty, diet, career, are being closely examined. These items
reflected the degree of masculinity across different countries. It is found that while the H.K.
Esquire devoted the highest portion of content to fashion (35.0%), beauty products (5.6%),
and career/successful men (9.4%), U.S. Esquire devoted the least. However, the U.S.
Esquire has the highest portion (8.0%) for diet, health and fitness related content. (See
Table 2)
H2: Hong Kong will have more ads featuring clothing and beauty products than will
the United Kingdom and United States.
Hypothesis 2 is supported. For product category in ads, theH.K. Esquire has the highest
percentages of ads for cosmetics and personal care products (40.9%) and clothing (23.9%).
While the United Kingdom has the lowest percentages for cosmetics and personal care

15

product ads (24.1%), the United Sates has the lowest percentages of clothing ads (5.8%). It
is also found that there is a relatively low percentage of fitness-related ads for all countries.
(See Table 3)
When we look at the cosmetic and personal care products qualitatively, it is found that
these ads in H.K. are very different from both the U.S. and the U.K. Most of these ads in
the U.S. and the U.K. are grooming products such as cologne and shaving cream. However,
those in H.K. are products and services that are very feminine and metrosexual. For
instance, there are several ads on skin care services (see Appendix C1), laser hair (both
facial and body) removal services (see Appendix C2) and skin tone (whitening, spot
removal) treatments (see Appendix C3). Also, some examples of the ad s bodycopy
include phrases such as Obsessed with beauty is no loner womens privilege (see
Appendix C3) and Maintaining a youthful healthy look (see Appendix C1). These
services are predominantly and traditionally targeted at women.
H3: United States male (models) will be the most traditionally masculine (muscular,
facial hair, tan skin tone, tough, etc.), then United Kingdom, and Hong Kong will be
the least masculine.
Hypothesis 3 is partially supported quantitatively. The masculinity index as presented in
Table 4 (0: Towards feminine, no facial hair, light skin, skinny nice face feature, 1:
Moderate, not muscular at all, neighborhood look, 2: Muscular, facial hair, tan skin tone,
tough) demonstrates the degree of masculinity of all the male models in the ads. The results
show that Hong Kong scores the lowest (1.37) and United Kingdom scores the highest
(1.95). For the United States, it scores (1.91) just slightly lower the United Kingdom. Hong
Kongs score is significantly different (p<.001) from the United Kingdom and the United

16

States. However, since it is also found that Hong Kong has the lowest percentages (25.9%)
of domestic models (see Table 5), the models in the ads may not truly represent Chinese
masculinity. Therefore, a qualitative analysis of cover models is performed to support
hypothesis 3. Hypothesis 3 is supported qualitatively with the examination of cover models
across countries.
Esquire magazine in all three countries alternate male and female cover models every
month. Among the nine magazines that we examine, all of the H.K. and U.S. Esquire used
male models, while U.K. Esquire only used one male cover model among three issues. The
U.S. Esquire cover models fit the traditional American view of masculinity tough, strong
and successful. All of the models are celebrities or politicians and they all wear a dark
formal suit that conveys a feeling of power, success and seriousness. The January (Robert
De Niro, born 1943), March (Benicio Del Toro, born 1967) and May (Rudolph Giuliani,
born 1944) cover models are all older and more mature men; and two of the models have
facial hair, which conveys a sense of dominance. For the only male model (Colin Farell,
born 1976) among the samples for the U.K. Esquire, he also carries a tough look and he has
both facial and chest hair. The overall feeling of him is quite unpolished.
In contrary to the U.S. Esquire cover models, the H.K. Esquire cover models are very
different in look and feel. Among all the domestic celebrities, none of them wore full
suits, and only one of them wore a shirt and a blazer. The other two both wore casual, more
European -like stylish outfits. Although all of the models are in the age range of 30 to 40,
they all look younger than their actual ages. One interesting finding is that one of the cover
models, Alex Fong, who is being regarded by the Hong Kong public as the Hong Kong
Richard Gear and the most manly man in Hong Kong, (Raccoon, 2003, p.97) wears a

17

sharp purple color tee shirt. Also, his facial appearance is very different from those cover
models in the U.S. He has very smooth skin on his face with no facial hair at all. He also
has very distinct and well-groomed eyebrows, which makes his facial structure more clean
cut. His tee shirt is pretty low cut, making it clear that he has no chest hair, which matches
his overall clean and smooth look. These facial and body features apply to all of the Hong
Kong models. All of them share a similar look and feel smooth, clean cut, and no facial
hair. Also, the colorful and stylish outfits that the models wear - a sharp purple tee-shirt for
the January H.K. Esquire model and pink pants for the March H.K. Esquire cover model making them even more feminine.
H4a: Hong Kong, as a high context culture city, will have fewer ads with direct
address than United States or United Kingdom, which are low context culture
countries.
H4b: Hong Kong, as a high context culture city, will have fewer ads with direct gazes
than United States or United Kingdom, which are low context culture countries.
Hypothesis 4 is supported. While Hong Kong has the lowest percentages of ads for both
direct address (12.6%) and direct gaze (30.1%), the United States has the highest
percentages of 31.4% and 54.4% respectively. The United Kingdom just places in between
Hong Kong and United States, having a 27.2% for direct address and 37.9% for direct gaze.
(See Table 6 and Table 7)

Discussion and Conclusion

Esquire is a leading global brand that is published in different countries. It is
interesting to notice that despite different cultures, values and concepts of masculinity,

18

Esquire is targeting the same kind of men in Hong Kong, United Kingdom and the United
States (See Appendix A). Their target markets are men who are sophisticated, intelligent,
well-educated, and confident in themselves and their own sense of style. Although male
representations in these countries are different, it seems that these men are sharing the same
values. These values are indeed what metrosexuals entail. Since Esquire is targeting a
certain kind of men, namely metrosexuals, instead of race, sexuality and class, this enables
global advertising strategies and provides a valid explanation to the exceptionally high
percentages of foreign models in Hong Kong ads (See Table 5).
Metrosexuality is confirmed in this study asall versions of Esquire devoted the
majority of the editorial content to fashion and grooming and most of the ads were
featuring these items, too. Although metrosexuality is a global phenomenon and a new
label,, it is definitely not a new representation.. There always have men who look
fashionable and are in touch with their feminine side. The reason why the public are so
excited about this is that the media are frequently talking about metrosexuals. Metrosexuals
are so widely discussed in the U.S. media as the new breed of men, even South Park, one of
the most popular U.S. adult animation series, had used metrosexual as the main theme for
the premiere episode of their seventh season in 2003. On top of that, there are numerous
reports appeared on Web sites and programs about metrosexuals, hosted by media channels
ranging from ABC news to ESPN Sports. Recently, there is a new book written by Michael
Flocker entitled, The Metrosexual Guide to Style: A Handbook for the Modern Man, which
offers a how to guide for men who want to be metrosexuals.
For degrees of variation in metrosexuality ormasculinity across cultures, we found
interesting results such that Hong Kong did possess a different degree of masculinity from

19

United States and United Kingdom. Hong Kong men are the least masculine (using
traditional terms) when compared to the United Kingdom and the United States. However,
the results of male images according to the masculinity scale for the United Kingdom and
the United States are very close. As mentioned in Hypothesis 2, there are more clothing and
grooming ads in Hong Kong than the United States or United Kingdom; however, the most
intriguing finding is that these ads are featuring services and products that are very
different and feminine. These include ads such as clinical skincare services, permanent
laser hair removal and skin whitening. It is very rare to see these kinds of services and ads
in the U.S. or U.K. Esquire. Also, the huge difference among the look and feel of the cover
models (see Appendix A, Appendix B and Table 1) in Hong Kong and United States
suggests that while the United States still hold some traditional values of masculinity such
as strength and toughness, Hong Kong shares opposite values such as well-groomed and
youthful. The Hong Kong cover models obviously are not afraid of showing their feminine
traits such as wearing pink and purple clothes and looking young and well-groomed. In
fact, these feminine traits may not be considered feminine in Hong Kong at all. As
discussed in the literature review, Hong Kong people have different cultural values and
being fashionable and caring may not be unmanly in this culture. This also explains why
the term metrosexual is not widely discussed in Hong Kong because qualities that
metrosexuals entail are very similar to the masculinity ideal in Hong Kong.
It is worthwhile to discuss the insignificant results of United Kingdom in this
particular study. Since globalization is so prevalent, content analysis of advertisements and
editorial content of Esquire magazine may not be fully representative of different aspects
of British men. The overall results for the United Kingdom and the United States are

20

somewhat similar, and both of them are distinctly different from Hong Kong. This can be
contributed to the fact that Chinese hold very different values and cultures than American
and British. These differences are supported by the results generated from Hypothesis 4,
which show that Hong Kong, as a high context culture city, have fewer ads with direct
address and direct gazes than United States or United Kingdom, which are low context
culture countries.
Limitation and future research
The overall findings for this study are promising; however, there are several
difficulties and limitations that may affect the results. First of all, the choice of sample for
this magazine raises a problem of representation. When we designed the study, we wanted
to choose a magazine that was published under the same brand in different countries to
enhance representations. However, since global advertising is so prevalent, there are a
number of non-domestic ads and editorial within localized versions. For instance, it is
surprising to find out there is an exceptionally high percentage of a foreign model in the
Hong Kong magazine ads. These representations make it difficult to ensure that the male
representations of the content are a true reflection of this culture.
For further research, it is suggested to look at local magazines with the same
target market for this kind of study. This will help in examining the representation of men
in these countries. Also, it is suggested to perform this study again over a longer period of
time to examine the trend of masculinity ideals. Moreover, it is worthwhile to study more
on metrosexuals over a certain period of time. Then, the coding (see Appendix D for
complete coding scheme) and data for this study will be very useful for future analysis on
globalization. In addition, apart from content analysis on advertisements and editorial

21

content, focus groups, survey and field study may be included in this study to obtain a more
in-depth approach to how individuals feel about representations of different kinds of men
across distinct cultures.
All in all, this study concludes that the concept and degree of masculinity are
different across different culture nations, with a more distinct difference between Hong
Kong and the other two western countries, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Hong Kong men score a comparatively lower degree of masculinity when compared to
American and British men. However, it is found that metrosexuality is indeed a common
trend and phenomenon for all the sample countries regardless of race and cultures. Since
metrosexuals share similar set of values, men magazines (Esquire magazine in this case) all
over the world seem to set metrosexuals as their target market.

22

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25

Table 1 -- Comparison of Esquire Magazine Cover and Cover Models in H.K., U.S. and U.K.
Issue
(2003)
H.K.
January
H.K.
March
H.K.
May
U.K.
January
U.K.
March
U.K.
May
U.S.
January
U.S.
March
U.S.
May

Cover Model
(Name, Age)
Domestic Male
Celebrity (Alex
Fong, 40, born
1963)
Domestic Male
Celebrity (Andy
Hui, 36, born 1967)
Domestic Male
Celebrity (Moses
Chan, 32, born
1971)
Foreign Female
Celebrity

Masculinity

Models
Clothes
Casual, Sharp
Purple shirt

Slogan

Esquire
Color
White

Background
Color
Dark Blue
Pattern

Clean, smooth skin, no

facial hair, nice face
structure, youthful look
Clean, smooth skin, no
facial hair, nice face
structure, youthful look

Casual, Sharp
Pink pants

Man At His Best

(English)

White

Flowery
Pattern

Dark suit with

stripe shirts

Man At His Best

(English)

Baby
Blue

Plain Brown

The Sharper Read

For Men (English)

White

Red

Bushy eyebrows, few

chest hair, tough look

Casual, White
shirt, open chest

The Sharper Read

For Men (English)
The Sharper Read
For Men (English)

Dark
Greenish
(Outdoor)
Plain Light
Grey
Plain Grey

International
Female Celebrity
International Male
Celebrity (Collin
Farrell, 27, born
1976)
International Male
Celebrity
(Robert De Niro,
60, born 1943)
International Male
Celebrity, (Benicio
Del Toro, 36, born
1967)
Domestic Male
Politician (Rudolph
Giuliani, 59, born
1944)

Facial hair, old,

mature, tough look

Dark suit with

dark shirt

Man At His Best

(English)

White

Plain Dark
Blue

Long hair, facial hair,

tough look, mature

Dark suit with

white shirt

Man At His Best

(English)

Yellow

Plain Dark
Blue

Almost bald, old,

mature

Dark suit with

white shirt

Man At His Best

(English)

White

Plain Dark
Blue

Clean, smooth skin, no

facial hair, nice face
structure, youthful look

Man At His Best

(English)

Red

Table 2 -- Comparison of Editorial Content Across H.K., U.K. and U.S.

Country
Issue
Fashion
Beauty
Diet
Celebrities
Career
Politics
HK
Jan
34.80%
7.41%
1.48%
2.22%
8.89%
0%
HK
March
35.74%
3.21%
0%
6.41%
12.82%
0%
HK
May
32.92%
6.27%
0%
7.52%
6.58%
0%
HK
Average 34.49%
5.63%
0.49%
5.38%
9.43%
0%
US
Jan
2.81%
0.84%
0%
42.70%
1.12%
11.24%
US
March
23.13%
1.25%
11.88%
40%
0.63%
8.13%
US
May
8.84%
0%
12.15%
29.28%
1.10%
1.10%
US
Average 11.59%
0.70%
8.01%
37.33%
0.95%
6.82%
UK
Jan
20.95%
0.95%
2.86%
13.33%
0%
3.81%
UK
March
45.87%
0.92%
0.92%
29.35%
0%
0.92%
UK
May
26.56%
0%
4.15%
22.41%
0%
8.71%
UK
Average 31.13%
0.62%
2.64%
21.70%
0%
4.48%
Coding Manual

Fashion: Clothes, shoes, pants, etc.

Beauty: Cologne, shower gel, facial products, etc.

Diet: Health, fitness, diet

Celebrities: Entertainment, celebrities

Career: Successful man

Note: The above selected items are only part of the 16 items in the original coding. The average percentages
are the average of January, March and May percentages.

26

Table 3 -- Comparison of Advertisements Across H.K., U.K. and U.S.

Personal Care Fitness
% Country
Alcohol
Clothing
& Cosmetics
United States
32.2%
0.8%
16.5%
5.8%
United
14.6%
8.2%
24.1%
0.6%
Kingdom
Hong Kong
40.9%
0%
4.4%
23.9%
(Pearson Chi-Square=107.518, df=34, p<.001)
Coding Manual

Alcohol: Beer, Rum, Cocktail, Wine, etc.

Personal Care: Deodorants, Shampoo, Conditioner, etc.

Cosmetics: Cologne, shaving cream, facial treatment, etc.

Fitness: Fitness Club, Outdoor Equipment, Protein boost Pills, etc.

Clothing: Footwear, Apparel, Designer Clothes, etc.

Note: The above selected items are only part of the 22 items in the original coding. Personal Care &
Cosmetics are combined separate items of Personal Care and Cosmetics because they are very similar.
Table 4 Degree of Masculinity Represented in Ads across H.K., U.K. and U.S.
Mean
Masculinity (Mean)
N
SD
United States
1.91
53
.35
United Kingdom
1.95
76
.43
Hong Kong
1.37
71
.70
(ANOVA: F=56.286, p<.001)
Coding Manual:

0: Towards feminine, no facial hair, light skin, skinny, nice face structure

1: Moderate, not muscular at all, neighborhood look

2: Muscular, facial hair, tan skin tone, tough

Table 5 Comparison of domestic verses foreign models
1-1 ID Country * 6 Model Nationality
% Country
Domestic 0
Foreign 1
United States
97.0%
1.5%
United Kingdom
88.5%
11.5%
Hong Kong
25.9%
67.1%
(Pearson Chi-Square=113.918, df=4, p<.001)

Not Sure 9
1.5%
0%
7.1%

Table 6 Comparison of Direct Address in Ads across H.K., U.K. and U.S.
% Country
No
Yes
United States
68.6%
31.4%
United Kingdom
72.8%
27.2%
Hong Kong
87.4%
12.6%
(Pearson Chi-Square=16.132, df=2, p<.001)
Table 7 Comparison of Direct Gaze of models in Ads across H.K., U.K. and U.S.
% Country/DG
0
1 - 99
United States
45.6%
54.4%
United Kingdom
62.1%
37.9%
Hong Kong
69.9%
30.1%
(Pearson Chi-Square=9.162, df=2, p = .010)
Note: Number of gaze from 1 to 99 are combined as 1-99 as shown in the table above.

27

Appendix A -- Esquire Background Information

(Retrieved from H.K., U.K. and U.S. Esquire Media Kit and Web sites)
Esquire International is published in 8 languages: Chinese, Czechoslovak, Dutch, English,
Japanese, Korean, Thai and Turkish and is published in the following 11 countries: Britain, China,
Czech Republic, Holland, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and U.S.A.
Esquire

Hong Kong

United Kingdom

United States

Launch

1958

1991

1923

Slogan

Man at His Best

The Sharper Read for Men

Men at His Best

Target
Market

Esquire is the complete guide to

high-quality living for men. It
presents whats sophisticated,
whats successful, whats smart
for men. From new trend to new
look. Hairstyle to grooming.
Relationships to sex. Health to
fitness. Work to travel. It pursuits
the essence of leading a quality
and enjoyable life.

Esquire targeted at British men with

values such as sharp,
sophisticated, contemporary,
stylish, intelligent and
entertaining. And the core buyer for
the magazine is most likely to be 2840, he does not have children yet,
but does have commitments to his
job, partner and home. Hes well
educated, career-minded and
successful, and has reached a stage
in his life where he is confident about
who he is, what he wants, and where
he is going.
Buys Esquire to be entertained by
sport, films, music, fashion, women,
gadgets, and personalities. He
believes quality & style that reflect his
individual tastes are more important
to him than the latest trends.

Esquire stands alone in

attracting different breed of
men: well-educated,
established in successful
careers, involved in personal
relationships, culturally literate,
socially aware, active in their
communities, emotionally
mature, and confident in
themselves and their own sense
of style.

Male
Reader

95%

83%

70.5%

Core Male
Reader
Age

30-39

28-40
Median Age: 27

35-54
Median Age: 49

28

Appendix B U.S. and H.K. Esquire Covers (See Table 1 for Analysis)

B1 : U.S. Esquire Cover (January)

B2 :U.S. Esquire Cover (March)

B3 : H.K. Esquire Cover (January)

B4: H.K. Esquire Cover (March)

29

Appendix C Men Images in Advertisements

C1: Ziz Clinical Skincare For Men

H.K. Esquire, January 2003, p. 73

C2: Ting House Beauty Clinic

H.K. Esquire, January, 2003, p.89

Key Ad Description & Translation

C1: Ziz Clinical Skincare For Men
Bodycopy : Ziz Clinical Skincare offers an upscale
environment to the growing male population
interested in maintaining a youthful healthy look
South China Morning Post
C2: Ting House Beauty Clinic
Permanent Laser Hair Removal
Power Light Services
Remove Facial Black Spots
Skin Whitening Services
C3: Medical and Phototherapy Beauty Center
Headline:
Sharp Green Light I.P.L. New Generation
Sparkling Available (at the beauty center)
For men who want to be cool and handsome, apart
from being smart, they need to absorb light

C3: Medical and Phototherapy Beauty Center

H.K. Esquire , March, 2003, p.119

$500 First Experience For Men Sale

Love beauty is not longer womens privilege

30

Appendix D: Complete Coding Scheme

Coder Name: ________________ Coder Affiliation:

_____________________________
Coder Contact Info: (Phone) __________________
(Email)________________________
Esquire Magazine Issue: _______________ Country of Publication
_________________
The following questions are preliminary investigation for the characteristics of the
ESQUIRE magazine in each culture.
What is your country ?
1 United States
2 United Kingdom
3 Hong Kong
What languages do you speak?
1 American English
2 British English
3 Chinese (both Mandarin/ Cantonese)
4 Both 1and 2
5 All of the above (1 and 3 or 2 and 3)
Magazine Versions?
1 US
2 UK
3 HK
Which Issue?
1 Jan
2 March
3 May
What is the language of the magazine?
1 English
2 Chinese
Magazine slogan (written in original language, and then translate in English):
How many cover models?
Magazine cover model gender:
31

Male 0
Female 1
Male and Female 2
Degree of Masculinity
0 Towards Feminine, no facial fair, light skin, skinny, nice face structure
1 Moderate, not muscular at all, neighborhood look
2 Muscular, facial hair, tan skin ton, rough guy, AF type guy
Degree of Feminity
0 -- Not Feminine, tough, strong look, no heavy make up, no flirty look, not dress up, not
sexy
1 Moderate, not feminist but not tough
2 Very Feminine, sexy, heavy make up, flirty look
Magazine cover model:
Domestic non-celebrity model 0
Domestic celebrity model -- 1
Same model as in the U.S. magazine 2
Different foreign non-celebrity model -- 3
Different foreign celebrity model 4
Mix (or both domestic and foreign) 5
Other (Please explain) -- 9
Magazine content:
About how many pages are assessed for the following contents:
(Please look through the entire magazine and count number of pages allocated to each
topic. Advertising is excluded and you can only allocate each page to one category only. You
can write 0.5 for half page, 0.25 for page, 0.75 for page, etc.)
1) Fashion (Clothes, shoes, pants)
2) Beauty (cologne, shower gel, facial products)
2) Women (e.g., what to know about women), Successful women
3) Sex
4) Love/Relationship
5) Home living (Cooking/interior/gardening)
6) Diet/health/fitness
7) Information/Reviews (books/shopping/restaurants/cds)
8) Celebrities/entertainment
9) Career/Successful man
10) Politics
11) Travel
12) Money/Business
13) Cars
14) Watches
15) Electronics (Computer/MD Players/ cameras/ cell phone/ internet)
12) Product related article (Advertorial/ special inserts)
32

13) Night Life (Rave Party)

14) Humor/quiz
15) Table of Contents/Editorial Content/Magazine Info
16) Other/features/stories: Please explain
Magazine content (international):
How many pages of International Issues (News, Fashion, Entertainment)?
Which countries are the news originated from?
Local News ___ pages
France News ___ pages
UK News ___ pages
US News ___ pages
Others __ pages
Magazine Size and Volume:
1- Normal Magazine Size
2- Big magazine size (e.g. Billboard)
How many pages does it have?
How many pages of content?
How many pages of ads?
Which side does the magazine open (left/right)?
Classified ads:
About how many pages are assessed for the following contents
1)
2)
3)
4)

Patented products: e.g., medicine, invented goods

Sex/dating partner
Diet products/tools
Other (Please explain)

Complimentary items that come with the magazine:

1) Yes, please specify ______________________________________

2) No
Magazine Prize (in original currency, and in U.S.):
1 US ~ 7.8 HK
1UK ~ 1.5 US

33

Coding Manual
1) ID:
1-1 Country :
1 US
2 UK
3 HK
1-2 Issue:
1 Jan
2 March
3 May
1-3 Page Number
001 page 1
122 page 122
2) Size and form :
Full 1 page 1
Spread 2p 2
3page -- 3
4page 4
Separate 2p 5
More than 4page 6
Half Page 7
Quarter Page 8
3/4 Page 9
1/3 Page 10
1/10 Page -- 11
Special inserts/forms 12 (please explain)
Not sure 99
3) CATEGORY: Product/Service Category
#
1

Category
Food

2
3

Alcohol
Home/kitchen goods

4
5

Office supplies/stationeries
Personal care

Fitness/Health (including medicine for

fitness purposes)

Education/publication

Examples
Snacks, beverages, ingredients,
groceries, restaurants,
diet drinks/foods
Beer, Rum, Cocktail, Wine..
Detergent, soap, toothpaste,
toothbrush, kitchen stuff, bed and
bath stuff
Files, pens, notes,
Deodorants, hair care (Shampoo,
conditioner, treatment)
Fitness machine/clubs,
Outdoor equipment, protein boost
pills
Books, magazines, schools,
institutions, education (video) tapes

34

Cosmetics

Clothing/fashion

10
11

Jewelry/watch
Health/medicine (for sickness)

12

Hotel/airlines/travel

13

Automobile

14

Business/finance/insurance

15

Electronics/Home appliances

16

Computer

17

Telecommunication

18
19

Internet companies
(.com companies)
Org/NGO/Gov

20

Home/Office furniture

21

Entertainment

22

Miscellaneous/Others (name it)

Cologne, Shower Gel, Shaving

Cream
Footwear, apparel, accessory,
innerwear
Necklace, earrings, rings
Vitamins, head/stomach aches
OTC medicine
Vacation packages, resorts, lodgings,
airplanes
Cars, tires, gasoline, car rental
service, other transportation
Real estates, stocks, funds, banks,
Credit cards
TV, VCR, camera, washing machine,
vacuum machine, air conditioner,
water purifiers, cellular phones, hightech devices, refrigerator, dish
washer, washer and dryer, oven
Software, semiconductor chips,
printer, scanner, other computer
accessories
Phone service, wire/wireless service,
satellite dishes, internet (Web
hosting) service
e-business, e-commerce, e-shops,
high-tech venture companies
Political party, charities, churches,
Public offices, interest groups
Mattress, tables, chairs, Sofas
DVDs, videogames, entertainment
events, performances, concerts, TV
program ads, CDs, Zoo, theme park
Photo Films, pet foods

4) Brand/Company (if addressed) Name:

e.g.) GUCCI, PRADA, DKNY
4-1) Code: Language
1 Domestic (Other than English, if English please choose 2)
2 -- English
3 -- hybrid/mix
5) Product types and name (advertised):
e.g.) DKNY Shirts & Ties, CANON digital camera

35

5-1) Code: Language

1 Domestic (Other than English, if English please choose 2)
2 -- English
3 -- hybrid/mix
5-2) Target Market
0 General (All sexes) (e.g. food)
1 Men (e.g. shaving cream, male facial clinic, camera, beer)
2 Female (e.g. female perfume)
6) PRODUCT nationality:
0- Domestic product: essentially made for the purpose of serving domestic customers. Made,
sold, and advertised domestically.
e.g.) Hong Kong: ZIZ Clinical Skincare for Men
U.S.A: Got milk? American dairy.
1- International (global/transnational/multinational) product: well-known, worldwide
brands.
Made, sold, and advertised globally. Made for and used by the worldwide customers.
e.g.) IBM, HP, Coca-cola, Microsoft
9- Dont know/Not sure
7) Headline:
Write down main words (expressions and concepts; see sample coding) in English
e.g. Digital All Colour (UK Samsung), Take your pants off and
stay a while (captain morgan original spiced rum)
7-1) Language:
1 Domestic (Other than English, if English please choose 2)
2 -- English
3 -- hybrid/mix
8) Subhead:
Write down main words (expressions and concepts; see sample coding)
8-1) Language:
1 Domestic (Other than English, if English please choose 2)
2 -- English
3 -- hybrid/mix
9) Bodycopy:
Write down main words (expressions and concepts; see sample coding)
e.g. proven repair, technologies, success, advanced, younger look, (ZIZ male clinic)
9-1) Language:
1 Domestic (Other than English, if English please choose 2)
2 -- English
3 -- hybrid/mix

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10) Slogan of the brand:

Please write down
e.g. reassuringly expensive (Stella Artois)
10-1) Language
1 Domestic (Other than English, if English please choose 2)
2 -- English
3 -- hybrid/mix
11) Product size in the ad:
Not shown --0
Large and focused -1 (product is largely focused and important than any other factors)
Medium 2 (entire product is shown, but less important than the model or other features.)
Small and not focused 3
e.g., a part of products are shown, framed as a small size
12) Visual color tone:
1-- Dark, Solid Color
2 -- Moderate color
3 Light color
4 Bright color
5 Baby color (e.g. baby blue, pink)
13) Place/scenes:
No background -- 0
Private 1 (e.g., bedroom, bathroom)
Public 2 (e.g., living room, outdoor)
Setting 3 (e.g., artificial background)
Office 4
Other (Please explain) -- 5
Not sure-- 6
14) Number of Male Models and Masculinity:
None 0, 11, 22, 33
14-1) Degree of Masculinity
0 Towards Feminine, no facial fair, light skin, skinny, nice face structure
1 Moderate, not muscular at all, neighborhood look
2 Muscular, facial hair, tan skin ton, rough guy, AF type guy
15) Number of Female Models and Feminity:
None 0, 11, 22, 33
15-1) Degree of Feminity
0 -- Not Feminine, tough, strong look, no heavy make up, no flirty look, not dress up, not
sexy
1 Moderate, not feminist but not tough
2 Very Feminine, sexy, heavy make up, flirty look, girly look, pink

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16) Model nationality:

Foreign 1
Domestic 0
Unclear 9
16-1) If foreign model, Model race:
Caucasian (white) 1
Black 2
Hispanic 3,
Asian 4
Mix (so hard to tell) 5
Other (please specify) 9
17) Use of Celebrities: Yes 1, No -- 0, Unclear --9
17-1) If yes,
1 Musician
2 Actors/Actress
3 Sports
4 Politics
5 -- Models
18) Model Age:
Young (with age less than 15) -- 0
Young adults (16 to 30) -- 1
Middle age (31 to 45) 2
Old (46 to 60) -- 3
Retired (61 +) -- 4
Unclear --9
19) Number of DIRECT GAZE:
Look at the readers directly/straight
0,1,2,3,4,5, 9 More than 9 or crowd: 99
If the entire face is not shown, or unclear: 999
20) Number of INDIRECT GAZE:
Look elsewhere (side, up/down front, each other of models, back, and not focused)
0,1,2,3,4,5, 9 More than 9 or crowd: 99
If the entire face is not shown, or unclear: 999
21) Degrees of Nudity: cumulative
0 -- no sexual appeal at all: fully clothed
1 -- Sexy lips - slightly opened or opened lips with lipstick, subtle sexual nuance, bare feet
2 -- Suggestively Clad - Wearing open blouses, shirts or gowns (which exposed chest
area), mini-skirts, muscle shirts, short-skirts, transparent clothes
3 -- Partially Clad: show under apparel, three-quarter length or shorter lingerie, body suits,
bikinis, or models showing bare backs, shoulders, and/or thighs, underwear, speedo
4 -- Nudity: bare bodies, including silhouettes, wearing translucent under apparel or
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lingerie, poses where the model wears only a towel

9 -- Cant tell/other (write down)
22) Intimate Relationship: (by Soley and Reid, 1985)
0 -- No relationship (solo model)
1 -- No contact: just together
2 -- Simple contact: holding hands, no intimate touching
3 -- Other contact: intimate touching such as kissing, hugging, embracing, and playful
wrestling
4 Suggestion of intercourse: males and females embracing in a prone position, semiclad or naked, or together in bed or bathroom, depiction of other bedroom scenes
9 -- Cant tell/other (write down)
23) Beauty Standard:
1 Eastern model type/beauty standard (e.g., Asian small figure, exotic (females), welldressed Asian face guy, light skin, weak cute image)
2 some hybrid (mix with eastern and western, domestic and foreign)
3 western model type (e.g., female- tall and skinny with brown or blonde hair, blue eyes,
man muscular, tough, rough, manly)
4 normal neighbor
5 normal foreigner (not so beautiful/handsome, not so skinny)
9 other (specify)

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[Advertising Executional Styles: adopted from Rothschild (1989)]

24) Advertising Techniques:
Find the most prominent appeal. You can choose more than one if you think several are
more prominent at the same level.
1) Product oriented (Rational)
None---0
Slice of life (e.g., showing product use in everyday life situation) --1
Product comparison --2
Focus on product feature including Factual (reason-why)/Problem-solution/Product
Demonstration (focus on product and its performance)-- 3
News/editorial (excluding articlized one) -- 4
Testimonial (with unknown consumer) -- 5
Expert spokesperson (relevant to the product) 6
Other (Please explain)--9
2) Consumer-oriented (Emotional)
None -- 0
Sex -- 1
Humor 2
Animation/cartoon/character 3
Celebrity spokesperson (not relevant with the product) 4
Curiosity/teaser 5
Association(including metaphor, relating other symbols, materials, images to the product) -6
Other (please explain) -- 9
[Advertising Information] (from Resnik & Sterns informative criteria (1977))

If the following items are present, code 1-yes, if absent, code 0-no
25) Price or value: Yes 1, No 0
26) Quality: Yes 1, No 0
27) Performance/product benefit: Yes 1, No 0
28) Components of contents: Yes 1, No 0
29) Availability (Place to purchase): Yes 1, No 0
30) Taste: Yes 1, No 0
31) Packaging or shape: Yes 1, No 0
32) Guarantees or warrantees: Yes 1, No 0
33) Safety: Yes 1, No 0
34) Nutrition: Yes 1, No 0
35) Special offers/sales: Yes 1, No 0
36) Research result: Yes 1, No 0
37) New/introduction: Yes 1, No 0
38) Website: No -- 0, Yes 1

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[Advertising Value]
39) GROUP BELONGINGS: Yes 1, No 0
Appeals about the integrity of or belonging to family or social group
Ad copy such as we, our team, our group, family, and membership
40) CONFORMITY: Yes 1, No 0
Do what everyone else is doing. Not standing out. Peer pressure
e.g.) Mommy, all my classmates have it. I wanna have it, too!
Sometimes the best way to stand out is to blend in (AIG)
41) GROUP RELATIONS: Yes 1, No 0
Emphasis on harmony. Being together. Friendship, partnership, companion.
Relationship marketing
42) SHARING, GIFT-GIVING: Yes 1, No 0
Reflection of interdependent relationships with others (sharing).
Gift for others.
e.g.) Congratulate the important day of your precious person with this
camera
43) CO-FULFILMENT/CO-BENEFIT: Yes 1, No 0
Emphasis on the accomplishments of the family or social group
Emphasis on the benefits to families or group members
e.g.) Lets make our country the most powerful information country
Building the strongest Korea
To keep our environment is our job
We dont wear cups. We win them
I pick this milk for my family health
44) INDIVIDUALITY/STATUS: Yes 1, No 0
Appeals about the individuality or status of the audience
e.g.) The company that protects your prestige
You are the most precious asset for us
Tailored only for you
45) UNIQUE: Yes 1, No 0
Emphasis on uniqueness, creativity, or originality. Focusing on being
different, standing out.
e.g.) Not your ordinary electronics store
Diet Coke that certain something
Never have an ordinary day
46) ESCAPE: Yes 1, No 0
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To get or stay out of the way

e.g.) Pack now and escape to Bermuda
Everybody needs 5 minute vacation
Come to the Marlboro country
47) SELF-INDULGENCE: Yes 1, No 0
Excessive or unrestrained gratification of one's own appetites, desires, or whims
Enjoyment, fun, pleasure, instinct gratification
e.g.) Passport to indulgence (HAGENDAZ ice cream)
There are no limits on fun (Callaway)
Enjoy the climb to the top
Enjoyment of reading (weakly DONG-A)
Thousands of pleasure. Honkong
48) COMPETITION: Yes 1, No 0
Reflections of competition. The national bestseller, the most, the
strongest
e.g.) # 1 golf publication (GOLF DIGEST magazine)
The world best
The mobile internet leader
Best of the best drivers (YONEX)
King of beers (Budwiser)
The ultimate driving machine (BMW)
49) SELF-RELIANCE: Yes 1, No 0
Self-direction or reliance on one's own efforts and abilities
Freedom, choosing own goals
e.g.) Have it your own way
Find your voice (VIRGINIA SLIMS)
Follow your instincts. Find your way Homewood
50) SELF-FULFILLMENT/SELF-BENEFIT: Yes 1, No 0
Emphasis on accomplishing oneself, self-development
e.g.) Make your weak point strong, your strong point stronger
With everyday-30-minute studying, you can master English
I lost 30 lbs with Kashi
51) DIRECT ADDRESS: Yes 1, No 0
A direct, first/second person address. Use of I, you, and we
e.g.) You deserve to be more comfortable
I am the magic station
52) FEELING: Yes 1, No 0
Emphasis on emotion, feeling, and mood
e.g.) Morning sunshine of European garden
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Full of spring-feeling
Not just gentle. Johnsons gentle
We love to see you smile
Americas good time spirit (Seagrams Seven Crown)
Uncommonly smooth (Cutty Shark)
Are you feeling it (Reebok)
Spirit of America (Mutual of America)
53) INDIRECT ADDRESS: Yes 1, No 0
Indirect, third-person address. Use of copy such as people, they, etc.
Not addressing audience, indicating a specific name
e.g.) One mans business card
Until the customer is happy (ok! SK)
How a young mother survived a massive heart attack, a heart
transplant and the terrible twos.
He just knows how good he feels (IAMS)
54) METAPHOR: Yes 1, No 0
Use of metaphors, indirect communication, or aesthetic expressions/visuals
Creative execution
e.g.) The face of spring becomes alive
Emperor of the diamond
Invisible jewel (Deneuve perfume
The architects of time (EBEL watch)
Columbus eye (visionary eye)
55) TENTATIVE STATEMENT: Yes 1, No 0
Intuition, ambiguity, subjectivity, generality, vagueness, and bland
expressions. Ad copy such as probably maybe perhaps and
slightly.
e.g.) Its probably a lot cheaper than gassing up the suv
Probably the best beer in town (Carlsberg)
Perhaps Americans most favorite computer (Dell computer)
56) INTANGIBLE VALUES: Yes 1, No 0
Addressing affective, symbolic, or subjective impressions of intangible aspects of
a product
e.g.) Diamond is forever (DeBeers)
Pour something priceless (BOMBAY SAPHIRE London Dry Jin)
There are some things money cant buy (MASTERCARD)

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