Essay Example about BIC Pens

Pens are an extremely common commodity, they are used all over the world by all different people for different purposes. There are 23 types of pens and over 75 brands that sell pens. In this essay, I will be focusing on BIC pens, which entered the pen industry in 1940. Pens are a few of the BIC is one of the largest producers and distributors of pens around the world. They are arguably the most common household pens within the United States. BIC pens are marketed towards people all throughout the country, their consumers are not limited by age, race, or gender. The average pen ad is presented to and created for an ambiguous consumer, pens truly are for everyone, pens from a company like BIC are cheap, a pack of sixty ballpoint pens would only put the consumer out five dollars, these pens are attainable to all consumers. Pens and writing instruments are good products to analyze the personal meaning the standard consumer gives a product. Thesis plz sumting 

A few of the ways consumers have made meaning out of ballpoint pens is by using them for things other than pens intended purpose, as a straw for instance. Pens can be used for a variety of purposes, in the past pens were used to rewind cassette tapes. This is how consumers  resist the meaning the producers, in our case BIC have given the product. 

BIC released “Pens for her” in late 2011, advertised with a collection of images and a video. These pens were extremely controversial and received particularly poorly by BIC consumers. The product, aside from its advertisment was problematic in the first place, as something as simple and androgynous as a pen was created using stereotypical genders characteristics in order to attract not only a specific type of consumer but a gendered consumer. This is one of the first examples of BIC company using gender identity and representation  to appeal to their customers. Consumers of BIC products responded to the creation of a gendered pen by negatively reviewing the product, refusing to purchase the pens, and creating culture jams based on the advertisements for “BIC Pens for Her”. The culture jam that we will focus on wass created and posted by Carlene’s GRSJ Blog. 

The creator of this culture jam wanted to “emphasize the blatant sexism, the main issue was the specific targeting of women.” (Journal). The advertisement and the culture jam are quire, similar, only the BIC slogan and qualities of the pen have been changed, on first glance the viewer might even think it was the actual advertisement released by BIC. The listed pen qualities are as such,”Simplistic design so they won't have trouble using it”, “Great grip to show the pen to all her friends”, “Convenient 2 pack (in case she loses one in her purse)”,  “Dainty point size 1.0mm”, and “In her two favourite colours”

Pen consumption can be looked at with the understanding that the average consumer does not question or put active thought into their consumption habits and methods. In general, it would not occur to pen purchasers that a pen does not have to be used for writing or as writing instrument, but actually has a myriad of functions, including; a backscratcher, a bookmark, and even a straw. The standard pen users will exclusively use pens for the purpose intended by the producers. Producers set the meaning of the product they are selling and consumers accept the meaning, most consumers are sheep, failing to push back against the producers and create their own meaning for the commodity they have purchased.