What has the impact of femvertising been on marketing?
Thanks for asking.
The term Femvertising was coined by She Knows Media back in 2014, and recent years have seen more and more advertising campaigns champion female empowerment and challenge traditional gender norms, reshaping the marketing landscape.
But the emergence of Femvertising has also led to a lot of scepticism, with some observers questioning whether the practice is actually a foe to the women's rights movement rather than a friend.
Examples of Femvertising campaigns
The Always Like a Girl campaign from 2014 is often cited in discussions of Femvertising.
It aired during that year's Super Bowl and challenged the negative connotations associated with the phrase, like a girl showcasing young girls performing tasks with strength and confidence.
My name is Dakota and I'm 10 years old.
Show me what it looks like to run like a girl.
Throw like a girl.
Fight like a girl.
What does it mean to you when I say run like a girl?
It means run fast as you can.
Another example is Nike's Dream Crazier campaign from 2019, which was narrated by American tennis star Serena Williams and featured female athletes breaking barriers and defying expectations, inspiring women to pursue their dreams relentlessly.
If we show emotion, we're called dramatic.
If we want to play against men, we're nuts.
And if we dream of equal opportunity, delusional.
Opinions about Femvertising vary widely among women.
Many appreciate the efforts of brands to promote gender equality and challenge stereotypes, but others are skeptical of the authenticity behind such campaigns.
Some argue that Femvertising merely exploits feminist ideals for profit, without enacting real change within companies or society.
Well, in 2021, chicor.com.au said that femvertising had become the new way of fixing women.
The feminist website said it had morphed into a trend designed to sell more products to women and that it no longer involved genuine subversion and transformation of gender stereotypes.
For example, it was critical of ads showing women skipping and dancing while on their period for being unrealistic.
Additionally, there's a concern that fembertizing can sometimes perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards or oversimplify complex social issues.
It seems that what women really want to see is genuine efforts from brands to champion gender equality both in their marketing campaigns and within their organizational practices.
So it's an unequivocal no to exploitation or tokenism.
As consumers continue to demand more from brands, femvertising is likely to remain a powerful force in shaping marketing strategies and societal attitudes.
There you have it.
Now you know what the impact of femvertising has been on marketing.
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