Growing political and public debate on equality has prompted the Advertising Standards Authority to launch an investigation into gender stereotyping in ads.
The UK’s advertising watchdog has called for evidence from a range of stakeholders into a number of gender issues that have gained “considerable public interest” – including the objectification and sexualisation of women in ads, presenting an idealised or unrealistic body image, the mocking of women and men in non-stereotypical roles, the reinforcement of stereotyped views of gender roles, and gender-specific marketing to children.
“As a proactive regulator, we want to find out more about these issues,” the ASA said in a statement on Thursday (28 April).
“Consequently, we will be doing three things: examining evidence on gender stereotyping in ads, seeking views from a range of stakeholders, and commissioning our own research into public opinion.”
Last year Protein World’s ‘beach body ready’ campaign sparked outrage for ‘body-shaming’ and objectifying women. However, despite garnering almost 400 official complaints and 70,000 signatures in an online petition, the advert, featuring a woman in her bikini promoting the brand’s weight loss collection, was cleared by the ASA.
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Numerous fashion brands have also been pulled into the spotlight for using underweight models and the overt objectification of females that could be considered to be under age.
Earlier this month, the ASA banned a Gucci ad for using an ‘unhealthily thin’ model, while a Nobody’s Child ad was deemed irresponsible for using a female model that ‘appeared to be a child in a way that was sexually suggestive’.
A Prada ad was also banned in May 2015 for similar reasons.
“We’re serious about making sure we’re alive to changing attitudes and behaviours,” the ASA’s chief executive Guy Parker said.
“That’s why we’ve already been taking action to ban ads that we believe reinforce gender stereotypes and are likely to cause serious and widespread offence, or harm.
“And that’s also why we want to engage further with a wide range of stakeholders on the effect of gender stereotyping on society, including through our ‘call for evidence’.”
The ASA is inviting stakeholders and organisations to send research and evidence to gender@asa.org.uk.
