Monday, November 23, 2015

"This Ad is Gender Neutral", But is it Also Just a Marketing Scheme?


Today I was walking through the mall with my boyfriend when I stopped dead in my tracks. Forever 21's new in store advertisement featured a very androgynous model sporting the new looks, and I was thrilled. Recently, while scrolling the internet looking at the latest holiday trends, I had seen a similar ad by Diesel, which stated "this ad is gender neutral' as can be seen above. I was naturally thrilled as well, but upon giving it more thought, I began having my doubts. While doing a little more research on Diesel specifically I came upon some pretty horrific, blatantly sexist ads from their past, which honestly, is to be expected from advertising.
I love fashion. All fashion. And I love people who love fashion. All people, because I believe fashion is for everyone and it doesn't matter what gender you are. Having said that, I have my cynicism and issues with the industry, for obvious reasons. This includes everything that encompasses "the industry," from designers and labels to specific stores, even to the minds behind marketing, photographers and the modeling industry, for obvious reasons. So while I'm ecstatic to have more ads that are gender neutral, something that could potential shift our ideals of what it is to be masculine, feminine, or even of gender in general, I can only ask myself is this truly is the future or just a fad? Is the industry simply making these moves to market and make money, or do they truly care about the very important social statements they're making? Do they truly care about the multitudes of individuals who will be affected by this? My only hope is that it will inspire more ads like it and that they're here to stay in the long run.  


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