Advertising festival takes a stand against gender stereotypes

At university, I studied under a lecturer who was a true feminist, a profound and enlightened woman. Every day, I became more conscious of the discourse around gender equality and feminist theory.

I was awakened to the role media have to play in perpetuating gender bias, inequality and harmful images of women. And then, I began my career at an advertising agency.

This is where I learnt that my feminist ideals were not welcome. I had to make the ads the masses wanted and that my Boys’ Club of creative leaders would approve of.

The good thing is that advertising is now in a very interesting era – an era that belongs to women. Finally, I am starting to feel that my original education can emerge and be free.

In a ground-breaking move, on Monday, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, a renowned advertising and marketing festival, announced that it would ask all jurors not to recognise work that objectifies women or perpetuates any gender inequality. This comes as a result of a campaign called #WomenN otObje cts led by the chief creative officer of Badger & Winters, Madonna Badger.

Other major advertising awards shows that have a great influence on our industry, like The Andy Awards, The Advertising Club, D&AD, The One Show and the Art Director’s Club, are already in support of this ban. This is huge.

For a while now, the consciousness has been building. But for advertising awards shows to make gender bias a red flag — something to look out for in the judging room — shows a commitment to changing the way we portray women and men in the media.

The big brands overseas, such as Nike, Axe, Always and Dove, have already started to change the status quo with the work they make. And recently, at the Superbowl, Audi made a statement commercial committing to equal pay for women.

Locally, however, it feels like we’re in a time warp. Our work is not bold or ground-breaking enough.

We either play out the stereotypes with mind-numbing predictability or we simply avoid the issues altogether. We need to change this fast. We need brave creatives to be disruptive about the way we depict men and women and we need brave clients to buy this kind of work.

It is somewhat scary, though, that while advertising awards shows can place this kind of consciousness over the work we deem as world class, the everyday, banal, get-it-made, hygiene work that isn’t considered for awards shows will escape this scrutiny. These are the ads we need to watch for.

LOCALLY, WE EITHER PLAY OUT THE STEREOTYPES WITH MIND-NUMBING PREDICTABILITY OR SIMPLY AVOID THE ISSUES ALTOGETHER

Consumers don’t make the distinction between work that is lauded and work that is humdrum. They see what they see and, for advertising to undergo the seismic shift it needs, we need to make better everyday choices. We need the unambitious washing powder and spaghetti commercials to tell a different story to the ones we’ve been telling since the Mad Men era.

Badger’s campaign is a poignant reminder of the damaging images we’ve blasted across screens for decades and how we’ve pushed the envelope in the wrong direction by finding ways to make those images even more crude and graphic. The campaign also asks young kids to comment on advertising that objectifies women and their responses are so honest, it leaves you embarrassed.

David Ogilvy famously said: “The consumer is not a moron, she’s your wife.” But she’s also your sister, your little brother, your boyfriend, your niece, your mother, your father.