Success: Alliance Formed to Combat Sexism in Advertising

Target: Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever

Goal: Praise alliance created to combat sexism in advertising.

U.N. Women and several major companies have teamed up to form the Unstereotype Alliance, an initiative to combat the sexism and gender stereotyping in commercials. Unilever, the company responsible for Axe body sprays, came up with the idea for the alliance after taking steps on their own to change their image. Their commercials, featuring sexy women mindlessly chasing after men who smelled nice, were reviled by feminists, leading the company to create a new ad campaign. Companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, and Mattel signed on with the alliance, as did Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

Petitions such as this one on ForceChange have been protesting the use of gender stereotypes to promote products and services, as well as commercials that objectify women, and it is a relief to see so many big companies responding to the protests at last. Advertisements have the potential to represent real people and their lives rather than relying on tired cliches, stereotypes and unnecessary hypersexualization. Hopefully, the Unstereotype Alliance will pull us further and further away from these outdated notions.

This is a positive step forward for the advertising world and for the media overall. Sign this petition to thank the Unstereotype Alliance for making progress.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Mr. Polman,

Thank you for helping to create the Unstereotype Alliance to combat sexism in advertising. For too long, advertising has been relying on gender stereotypes and the hypersexualization of women to promote products. Your decision to remove stereotyping from your own commercials is appreciated, as is your formation of this effort.

Thanks to you and the companies who have joined the alliance so far, we may see a distinct change in advertising and the end of gender stereotyping. In this modern age, housework and the workforce are multi-gendered, and it is time for advertising to fully reflect this. It is greatly hoped that you will change the face of advertising worldwide, and that more companies will join you very soon.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Equipe unilever volei