#femvertising

created by Alexis Crase

What is “femvertising” you ask?It is the purposeful incorporation of feminist talent,

messages, and imagery.They are empowering, pro-female advertising

campaigns that purport to support both women & feminist ideals.

Think of it as using feminist taglines, like Neutrogena’s “See What’s Possible,” to cater to

female consumers.

When did “femvertising” come about?The women’s liberation movement of the 60’s and 70’s were when

advertisements first started to incorporate feminism.

The 1968 Virginia Slims cigarettes ad debuted with the slogan “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.”

This is considered by many to be the first “femvertisement.”

Other classic examples include Maidenform’s “I Dreamed” campaign, as well as Charlie Enjoli’s perfume marketed to working women of the 70’s.

However, it wasn’t until the 2000’s that brands started to spread messages of female empowerment for purposes other than their own bottom-line.

For example...

the obvious

example: Bud

Light &

Equal Pay

the subtle example:

Under Armour’s “Rule Yourself”

In addition to video campaigns, print ads & hashtags are trending

as well...

#LikeAGirl#SpeakBeautiful

#HeForShe #femvertising

#ThisGirlCan #WomenNotObje

cts#CutOutSexism

the million dollar question

is it Helpful

-Some support real causes for women and girls.

-Demand for diverse, realistic images is steadily increasing as a result.

-They illustrate that men and women can do the same things.

-Set better examples for youth than older ads.

-From a marketing standpoint, it boosts sales.

-Advertisers are taking feminist ideology and, instead of making it

about political change, they’re making it about private desires.

-Inauthentic support has a negative effect on the idea of women’s equality.

-These ads can be seen as manipulative.

-Many ads still depict women in ways that are geared towards men.

Hurtful? or

“The ultimate hope, it seems, is that women will support companies that support women — and that brands who

continue to demean and objectify women will occupy less space on our television screens, billboards and magazine

pages.”

- The Huffington Post

What do women think about femvertising?

“We have had a real shift in our industry towards authenticity, so we have a lot of content that shows pores and wrinkles. When it comes to showing cellulite and scars, we have a bit of that content, but we absolutely need to grow more.”

-Pam Grossman, the Director of Visual Trends at Getty Images

“Inauthentic support cheapens the idea of women’s equality, and that is dangerous not only for the purveyors of business behind those token messages, but to the feminist movement itself. Too many attempts to “market to women” seem to me to turn female power into a commodity — or at least, reduces female power into something mostly good for buying more commodities.”

-Meredith Fineman, Harvard Business Review

51%of women polled like pro-female ads because they believe they break down gender-equality barriers

the question remains:

Is “femvertising” a sign that our society has

progressed?

&

Does femvertements play a positive or a

negative role in society?

References

Bahadur, N. (2014, October 3). 'Femvertising' Ads Are Empowering Women -- And Making. Retrieved October 20, 2016, from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/02/femvertising-advertising-empowering- women_n_5921000.html

Iqbal, N. (2015, October 12). Femvertising: How brands are selling #empowerment to women. Retrieved October 19, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/12/femvertising-branded-feminism

North, B. (2014, December 17). The rise of 'femvertising.' Retrieved October 19, 2016 from http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/The_rise_of_femvertising_17792.aspx