Gender aware ads are the remedy for a “toothless, gutless” industry
While some might think talking about gender diversity is dull, there’s certainly nothing boring about the work that originates from those discussions. Gender expert Bec Brideson considers some key examples.
Just last week you may remember M&C Saatchi’s TJ Tindall saying all this natter about diversity is boring. He’s not wrong but like a puffer fish who’d eaten one too many starchy crabs, he was bloated with toxic reasoning.
Talking about diversity is boring; doing challenging, innovative work around gender and thereby increasing your brand engagement and bottom line is far more exciting. In fact, you could suggest it may be the remedy to reinvigorate an industry that in Tindall’s words is “toothless, gutless and increasingly anodyne.”
Gender can be used as much more than a filter to create better connect with the financially empowered female audience; it can also be a valuable tool to create resonance with a male audience too. And there are brands out there doing just that; proving they are full of guts and teeth.
Take Tecate, for example.
“The narrative of the film called “Violence” explains that men are not defined by strength, sexuality or toughness…”
Featuring a transwoman when describing MEN and their sexuality is irrelevant to this script and poorly used in this context here, it demonstrates a bit of ignorance. A transwoman’s gender is… wait for it… a woman.
Maybe this is something you should take up with the beer brand, instead of shitting all over someone just explaining the concept of the ad?
Or you know, keep doing dumb shit.
No mate. I loved it. And I mean that man-to-man.
“The use of the gender-lens was successful. The campaign received millions of views, unprecedented coverage nationally and internationally reaching 65 countries. Eight out of 10 comments were positive and it achieved the greatest number of interactions and responses for an ad in Mexico in 2016, taking Gold for the Cannes Glass Lion (the Lion for change) in 2017.”
My fear with an ad like this is that it was created as much with the last point in mind as selling beer. I really hope that this actually worked as a sales concept, and would love to see stats showing that as well (which I appreciate the company may not have shared).
Boring. But not because of the topic. I love it – but authors need to add something new or shed light on an insight.