It’s time to re-imagine the Aussie Bloke in ads
When persistent gender tropes are regularly deployed and viewed repeatedly, our industry’s cultural impact is great. And not in a good way. Jess Lilley, creative partner at The Open Arms, explores.
It might seem trivial in the grand scheme of things (what harm is a few busy mums or Aussie blokes on the small screen), but when research links sexist advertising to higher rates of violence against women, there is nothing lowkey about it.
The Open Arms proudly developed Commercial Breakdown in partnership with shEqual, understanding that when persistent gender tropes are regularly deployed and viewed repeatedly, our industry’s cultural impact is great. And not in a good way.
We know how hard it can be to get an ad from brief to air, necessitating plenty of compromise within the bermuda triangle of decision making between agency, client and production. Visual shortcuts reign supreme, which may explain why gender tropes stubbornly persist.
But we can’t make excuses when research shows that, the more people are exposed to gender stereotypes in ads, the more likely they are to believe in narrow ideas about gender roles in the real world. According to a 2023 UN report: “Discriminatory gender norms perpetuated in media and advertising can normalise acts of violence against women and girls and portray unhealthy relationships.”
