As the lines blur between gender roles in today’s society, marketers are changing their approach to accommodate. Some men wear makeup, some women are the bread winners and other revelations are shaping the way consumers relate to advertising.
Adapting to changing world views on gender roles has become a priority for many brands, as illustrated during this year’s Cannes Lions. The Unstereotype Alliance, for example, was founded to eradicate outdated stereotypes in advertising.
Keith Weed, chief marketing and communications officer at Unilever said, “We’ve seen true progress in our industry, but it doesn’t go far enough. Our job isn’t done until we never see an ad that diminishes or limits the role of women and men in society. We want to work with our peers across the industry to develop new ways of working, to share knowledge and approaches so that we can scale the Unstereotype commitments. We believe cross-sector collaboration will lead to sustained transformation. This is no longer just a social imperative but a business one, progressive ads have been found to be 25 percent more effective and deliver better-branded impact.”
