Breaking The Gender Mould In Advertising

Oindrila Roy Mar 09, 2024

For years, Indian advertising has been rife with outdated stereotypes, portraying women through a narrow lens as either domestic goddesses or mere objects to accentuate sales pitches. But, over the years, with stronger gender sensitisation, the popularisation of gender-sensitive content, and the infusion of GenZ, the real woke generation, into the workforce, there has been a conscious shift in breaking away from gender stereotypes. Its portrayals, narratives, and depictions of women have changed. And this shift is important, as it has the potential to redefine how women are seen and valued in society. While there are no scorecards available that measure how far the needle has moved or its role in reframing society and its biases, the progress made is undeniable.

When I think of ads that set the ball rolling, quite a few come to mind, but the one that had a real impact was P&G’s #LikeAGirl by Always (the global brand known as Whisper in India). The campaign cleverly addressed the negative connotation associated with the phrase ‘like a girl’. The team turned it into a powerful statement of confidence and strength for women of all age groups. The idea was powerful. The execution was simple yet hard-hitting. In the past, Nike and Dove have addressed the issue very powerfully, but #LikeAGirl sparked critical conversations about gender stereotypes globally and paved the way for brands to challenge harmful societal norms.

Another recent work from the same brand has found its place in history for breaking stereotypes: 'The Missing Chapter' for P&G’s Whisper. The campaign used the metaphor of a missing chapter in school textbooks to put the spotlight on the systemic exclusion of information essential to healthy development for girls. While focused on menstrual education, the campaign challenged broader gender stereotypes that limit girls’s potential and perpetuate inequalities. 'The Missing Chapter' is a great example of how brands are influencing positive social change.

Historically, make-up, beauty, and lingerie brands have been held responsible for setting impossible standards of beauty by portraying the ‘ideal woman’ as women with flawless skin, fair skin tones, and perfect body shapes. But, yeah, the times are changing.

Breaking Stereotypes

Enamor, a progressive fashion lingerie brand, launched a bridal campaign, #EveryBrideIsFabulous, that created a new visual, breaking the stereotypical definition of brides. The campaign created quite a statement about there being no 'ideal bride'. By moving away from traditional stereotypes, the campaign prompted discussions about the evolving landscape of weddings in India and the changing expectations of brides.

It has now become commonplace to see brands, especially those whose main consumers are women, breaking the gender stereotype. Jewellery, cosmetics, detergents, masalas, instant noodles, cooking oils, fashionwear, and even two-wheelers have showcased women of various ages, body types, skin tones, ethnicities, and abilities, moving away from traditional domestic settings and highlighting their diverse skill sets and aspirations. Men, on the other hand, are seen in kitchens more often and are portrayed as involved fathers, bringing up children while the women are away at work. Hats off to these much-celebrated brands that have championed positive change and created a new normal in the portrayal of women.

But it’s heartening when categories such as mutual funds, banks, and insurance give women the voice they rightfully deserve. Historically, these brands have spoken to men, and their portrayal of women has been peripheral. But even these brands have now made a dramatic shift in breaking gender stereotypes.

In fact, what’s satisfying is that our agency, too, has created some of these path-breaking campaigns for our clients. Be it the #ZindagiKeLiyeSIP campaign for HDFC Mutual Fund, which portrayed a father’s sacrifice to invest in his daughter’s career as a badminton player to explain the benefits of long-term investments in mutual funds, or the #ThisIsMyClimb campaign for Pramerica Life, a life insurance brand, which showcases a woman operating a tractor to help her father on the farm.

The HDFC film was a break from the stereotypical portrayal of fathers sacrificing for their son’s education and daughter’s marriage. This fresh portrayal of the father-daughter relationship, aimed not only at the metros but also the lower pop strata across the country, created a new narrative in culture. The film for Pramerica Life broke multiple stereotypes, starting with a woman breaking into a man’s domain of operating a farm machine.

While the road is long, changes in the landscape are clearly visible. Platforms such as the #Unstereotype Alliance, established by UN women to partner with the advertising industry to eradicate harmful stereotypes, are helping bring the future closer. But to truly make a difference, the whole industry needs to acknowledge that real progress will be made when we go beyond progressive portrayals and help to dismantle the system that perpetuates obstacles to true equality both in front and behind the camera.