shEqual, Australia’s advertising equality movement, has launched a Female Stereotypes in Advertising videos series to start industry-wide conversation on ending sexist advertising.
The video series features an expert panel discussing pervasive flaws in the depiction of women in Australian advertising.
The content was created in partnership with Icon Agency at its new digital production studio, The Content Garden.
The panel includes Dhivia Pilai (Senior Strategist, TBWA), Sarah Vincenzini (Associate Creative Director, M&C Saatchi), Niall Hughes (Group Account Director, Icon Agency), Anathea Ruys (CEO, UM Australia), Irene Joshy (Head of Creative, Insights, Kantar Asia & Australia) and Fiona Le Brocq (Senior Executive, Brand, Marketing & CX, Medibank).
The video series is part of the SH!FT campaign designed to give the industry the language to discuss and challenge gendered stereotypes in their work. It is hoped that the content will also support robust conversations across agency land.
“We need to talk more about how the advertising industry represents women to the Australian public and the potentially damaging impact female stereotypes can have,” says Dianne Hill, CEO of Women’s Health Victoria, the organisation leading the shEqual movement.
Key insights from the panel include how changes to casting can create more authentic and diverse talent selection, the importance of raising concerns during the development of ads, and why advertising really needs to stop cutting off women’s heads.
“Our data shows that respectful (93%*), realistic (88%*) and diverse (89%*) representations of women in advertising content are important to the industry. The will to change is there and we encourage advertisers to use these videos to start their own meaningful discussions with their peers,” says Dianne Hill.
Icon co-founder and managing director, Joanne Painter: “Australians see thousands of adverts each day, making it hard to underestimate the power our industry has to shape social opinions and expectations of women for the better.
"It’s therefore vital that we challenge inequality through our content and storytelling, which starts with the people making it.
“Gender and cultural diversity are deeply ingrained in Icon’s DNA and as a female-founded and led agency, we’re proud to support shEqual’s work. We hope that the content series furthers the much-needed conversation around the representation of women in the media."
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