The ASA ruling that Protein World’s ‘Beach Body Ready’ ad was inoffensive, despite the outrage it caused and the fact that the watchdog has said it cannot run again, highlights just how provocative our industry can be.
Whether it was a clever or callous tactic by the brand to ignite debate across the country, there needs to be a serious look at whether we should exploit emotions in this way. This isn’t the first time a brand has banked on fear – and it won’t be the last. Fear gets an instinctive reaction of fight or flight, and triggers our innate emotional aversion to loss.
Nevertheless, at a time where there is a steep rise in eating disorders, cosmetic surgery and stress-related illnesses, brands should be held more accountable for the messages they portray. No matter how content we feel we are, the amount of marketing around us every day is sending us constant subliminal messages that over time alter perceptions about ourselves, for good or for ill.
This begs a wider question about marketing to women in general. Although there seems to be plenty of literature and endless tips on how to market to women, with their different needs, motivations and spending priorities, have marketing practices changed and developed as much as they could have, given all the research? The fact that 91% of women feel that advertisers still do not understand them suggests not.
In the same study into household spending power, it was found that women account for 85% of all consumer purchases, including everything from cars to health and wellbeing. Yet there’s still a big disconnect in making ads that truly understand women.
Fortunately, there are signs that the ad and marketing industry is starting to really advocate the issues surrounding gender inequality. The fact that the ASA has taken Protein World’s ad controversy seriously and investigated whether it was socially irresponsible is a start. So too was another industry-wide initiative at this year’s Cannes Lions. This year the festival opened a new category, the Glass Lion. This award championed the campaigns that tackled gender inequality. The winners and their work exemplify exactly what marketers need to be aiming for when speaking, engaging and advertising to women.
Take one of this year’s winner: This Girl Can, an initiative by Sport England to inspire women around the country to up their fitness by taking up sport regardless of their shape, size or level of fitness. The ad not only induces the feelgood factor, it tackles some of the barriers that stop women from participating in sport. It’s an immensely positive, powerful film.
That isn’t the only campaign this year that highlighted the growing impact of marketing to women in the right way. #LikeAGirl by Leo Burnett for Always, received a Glass Lion and a Grand Prix for PR.
The #LikeAGirl campaign was a video that asked real women, men, boys and young girls to show what it physically meant to throw and run like a girl. The response was a real eye-opener – the girls performed these actions confidently, whereas the older women, men and the boys responded in a sarcastic, stereotypical negative way. This really shows how a generation ago we as marketers and as a society in general accentuated these negative connotations about what it means to be a girl, and a woman.
Clearly more brands need to take marketing to women and empowering them seriously.
Thankfully other brands are starting to jump in. Dove has been fantastic advocate for empowering women through ads in recent years. Equally, sports brands such as Nike are taking a lead, launching campaigns such as #betterforit, motivating women to get active in a realistic way and taking on the supportive role as the reliable training partner.
These brands don’t use fear or shame to achieve their message; they use positivity and real people to empower women, no matter what.
The expert agencies and their perceptive clients recognise that communications, whether in the form of ads, events or indeed posters, are most effective when they are engaging hearts as well as minds. Regardless of any ASA ruling, the feelgood factor will always elicit deeper and more ingrained change in behaviour than fear.
Lucy Camerer Cuss is senior account director at Wasserman Experience
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