29 Sep 10

“The secret weapon”: gender stereotypes in advertising

by Jade McKerracher, Trainee Comms Planner

This summer saw the launch of Iron Press – “the soft drink for real men”. The latest offering from Halewood International, a producer of wines, spirits and speciality drinks, comes in a sturdy 500ml beer bottle and though non-alcoholic, resembles a pint of beer because of its amber colour.

Writing in the Guardian, Tony Naylor claims to find the product’s tag-line rather insulting. No doubt many women feel the same about “Sheila’s wheels” or tire of hearing “that’s why mums go to Iceland”.
 
But, if the advertising insults us, why are these products so prolific and, presumably, so popular? Yorkie is “not for girls”; women in the office enjoy a Diet Coke break whilst swooning over the window cleaner; Snickers commands you to “get some nuts”…yet each of these FMCGs are successful brands despite, or perhaps because of, their use of gender stereotypes. Coca Cola, for example, recently retained its title as the world’s best brand for the eleventh year running in Interbrand's annual ranking of the world's best global brands.

Iron Press is yet another example of not only traditional gender roles but also the use of product as identity – as a channel through which to express an element of self. Stereotypes in advertising can be tiresome and clichéd. But they persist, arguably because we need them – to conform to or to rebel against. So we may complain about feeling insulted, but the results show that the strategy works and we continue to buy.