STEREOTYPICAL TOY MARKETING: ON THE WAY OUT?

The dissolving of binary gender divisions also has implications for business. A 2021 US study found that more than half of Millennials and Gen Z adults see notions of binary gender as outdated and that a decade from now, people will associate gender with stereotypical notions much less than they do today. According to ‘Beyond the Binary: Americans’ Attitudes, Lifestyles, Purchasing Behaviors, and the Implications for Advertisers and Marketers’, for “a significant percentage of younger generations, the notion of identity is fluid and decidedly non-traditional,” Adrian Tennant, VP of Insights, said. “Gen X and younger are leading the charge and challenging brands to portray more diverse audiences and expressions.” The findings will be used to inform future advertising for products that have been historically marketed for one specific gender, such as dolls for girls and toy cars for boys.