A Study on the Deviation of Female Athletes’ Advertising Images: An Empirical Analysis Based on Stereotypes and Value Shift

Abstract

This research looks at how female athletes are shown in advertisements and tries to point out the possible bias and problems in such portrayals. By analyzing 36 advertisement samples in the past three years featuring five well-known athletes: Guo Jingjing, Fu Yuanhui, Eileen Gu, Zheng Qinwen and Wu Yanni, and also using 89 valid questionnaires, the study found that the ads often lean towards feminine and daily-life styles. They focus too much on family, appearance, and health, while less attention is given to the athletes’ professional spirit and career identity. The results show that the public mainly expects female athletes to appear “strong, confident, and professional” in the ads, and people highly recognize their fighting spirit and professional ability. However, the ads presented do not match well with what the audience hopes to see. This mismatch not only narrows the diversity of how athletes can be represented but also weakens the persuasive effect of the ads and lowers consumers’ willingness to buy. In the end, the ads tend to lock female athletes into a single identity. Based on these findings, this paper suggests that advertisers should pay more attention to athletes’ professional role and social value. By combining creative ideas and social media, they can shape a more independent, healthy, and diverse image of female athletes, and help close the gap between advertising practice and public expectation.