March 8 is International Women’s Day. Unfortunately, some brands are still and always off the mark.
Once and for all, no March 8 is not “Women’s day“. March 8 is International Women’s Rights Day. An important nuance that some brands tend to forget a little too easily. On March 8, we do not celebrate Women, but the struggles, the victories and we claim the rights that are not yet acquired.For March 8, therefore, no need to offer, as some brands offer, a bouquet of flowers or a handbag on sale, it is absolutely not the point.
Even if they are pinned every year, some brands have still not understood the issue of March 8… And like every year, we find companies that evoke “Women’s day” and not that “women’s rights.” And for the occasion, we propose to offer… Flowers! Like every year, we also come across brands that offer shopping vouchers, discounts for the purchase of sunglasses or for clothes or even… a waxing session ! In short, this year again, the brands have completely missed the mark, as illustrated by this anthology of nonsense spotted by Pépite Sexiste.
What’s next after this ad
Stereotypical advertisements from an early age
In the radius of sexist advertisements, 2022 has been blessed. In October, advertising for a supermarket in Seine-et-Marne caused an uproar. The advertisement evoked the marketing of the new FIFA game and was aimed at men who would not have had the “chance” to play it… In response, it therefore offered a €3 cushion so that “ladies“can put it on the sofa, the bed or, even better, use it”if you get down on your knees.” After being the target of strong criticism, the supermarket had apologized.
Unfortunately, clichéd and sexist images in advertisements remain legion. Injunction to beauty, to youth, to thinness, cult of the body, dominant man, submissive woman, woman’s face hidden but highlighting her body… advertisers find it difficult to keep up with the times.
And the injunctions start from an early age. An ARCOM report published in 2022 shows that advertisements for children’s toys are also struggling to evolve and remain stereotyped. 18% of little girls appear in games supposedly for boys like guns or cars. And we only find 8% of boys in advertisements “for girls”, with dolls for example. Clear, “in the advertisements viewed, the activity most practiced by girls is playing with dolls and that most practiced by boys is fightingt.” In advertising, too, there is still a long way to go.