SHAME ABOUT THAT AD: Challenging female stereotypes in advertising

Suzanne Harrington challenges a marketing campaign’s premise that girls feel less equal at puberty

The Proctor & Gamble sanitary product brand is behind a documentary which features a young girl, Dakota, who doesn’t understand the negativity of “throwing like a girl” whereas the adults, both male (above) and female adhere to the stereotype of females being the weaker gender. THE advertising of sanitary products continues to evolve. From zero acknowledgement of the existence of menstruation to discretion, embarrassment and the avoidance of shame being predominant themes. Illustrated by that infamous blue liquid being carefully poured onto menstrual products by men in lab coats — to roller-blading down mountain sides in tight white jeans, we’ve come a long way, baby.

At least, that is what we are led to believe. But have we? The latest advertising campaign from Proctor & Gamble’s sanitary product brand, Always, hooks in on the phrase ‘like a girl’. On the surface, it’s a great idea, along the lines of Sheryl Sandberg’s Ban Bossy campaign.