This ad was created by Bodog.com to promote their website. The target audience for this ad would likely be white men, ages 18-45, who enjoy watching baseball and gambling. The ad used young, attractive, white women. The target age may be even higher, but the website doesn’t allow anyone under the age of 18 to play and it is also illegal for anyone under 18 to gamble. The website allows people to bet on sports and horse races, or play poker at an online casino.
The add shows two white young females in underwear with a baseball bat between them. The woman on the right is holding the other woman while the woman on the left is touching her lip in a seductive manner. The company’s website, bodog.com, is shown on the bat. The phrase “GOT WOOD” in all caps is displayed on top of the page along with “Get some wood on it and swing for the fences. Bet on baseball all season long. Visit www.bodogbaseball.com” in small print. The background is all black.
This ad is confusing. At first, one would assume the ad is selling baseball bats. Then looking closer, the reader may assume they are promoting a website selling baseball equipment. Only after reading the small text does the reader realize they are advertising a website for betting on baseball. The meaning of the ad is distracted by the two young women and seems to be selling sex rather than gambling. This ad would be better suited for a pornographic movie.
There are strong symbols of sexuality in this ad. The scantly clad women, the large type of “Got Wood?” at the top of the page, and the large baseball bat between the women implies that masculine men who bet at this website also attract young, attractive women. The part of the ad that says “swing for the fences” is also a play on sex. Which base you got to is also a way of implying how far you got with a girl. Swinging for the fences is saying you will go all the way with the girl. The lifestyle of a player who gambles and interacts with lots of women is portrayed. The ad uses card staking to imply only the good parts of gambling and living a high-end lifestyle. It doesn’t show the negative aspects of gambling or being a player. Finally, beautiful people are used to entice the reader. The women are wearing nothing but underwear, and have makeup on. They are pretty and in good shape. This ad is implying that men who gamble, particularly at this website, have an easy time getting good-looking women to remove their clothes.
The only possible healthy message this ad has is that playing baseball helps keep you in shape, but even that is a stretch. Gambling itself is unhealthy and implying that gambling increases a man’s sexuality is absurd.
In the long run, gambling will cost you money. Every game in a casino and every game on this website is designed so the dealer or owner of the website gets your money. Gambling can be addicting and is an extremely pastime and in no way will online gambling increase your social status or increase your chances at getting a girl in bed.