I may have admitted before that I was rather hoping I would have a girl when I was pregnant. I just knew girls – felt comfortable with them so wanted to raise them. In my naivete I thought all mums wanted girls and all dads wanted boys. I know! I know! I’m wrong.
And although we hear horrific stories about baby girls being aborted in rural China, it’s not just in remote areas where parents are hoping against hope for a boy, it’s got a lot to do with stereotypes and inaccurate perceptions which is why Fast Company magazine came up with the innovative idea of asking advertising agencies to rebrand girls with mock ads.
Take a look
Everybody Shout Campaign Strategy:
This ad shouts what studies suggest–that female leaders can be more empathetic and inspirational. The ad evokes movie posters because its creators “expect to see plenty of successful females coming soon to a corporation, startup, or Oval Office near you.”
Cramer-Krasselt campaign strategy:
“Ads mock the conventional choice by presenting challenging, funny facts about raising boys. National print ads, signage in pregnancy-test sections of drugstores, and QR (quick-response) codes on boys’ clothing in retail outlets steer prospective parents to more data at hopeitsagirl.com.”
Akoa Campaign Strategy:
“To help rural Chinese see women as precious, ads will nudge urban professionals, whose cultural influence is vast. The character on the lips is the female version of the word ni (“you”). The ad aims to speak to those who know they have value and those who don’t yet see that.”
Leo Burnett Campaign Strategy:
“The “Accidental Daughters” campaign would use humor and irreverence to upset stereotypes. First up would be Amy Poehler, followed by a series of other successful, iconoclastic women, like Lady Gaga.”
72andSunny campaign strategy:
“With cheeky fake blurbs, this campaign appeals to would-be dads by hyping baby girls as the “high-performance” child. The downloadable configurator app borrows from popular high-performance automobile apps. Your girl as a souped-up Mustang–that’s an equation a guy can love.”
LatinWorks campaign strategy:
“In a world that holds to a lot of false generalizations about women, this campaign simply aims to push facts that paint a favorable picture of girls. Many boys are loyal and compassionate–but according to the data, girls have those traits more often.”
Everybody Shout campaign strategy:
“The ad makes a case for why girls deserve a chance in a heartfelt, yet provocative way. The “positions” series could be a campaign that also becomes a series of stunts to get people talking about the many reasons why they “do it,” including quirky yet, uh, educational executions. Point is: However you do it–just do it for her.”
Cramer-Krasselt campaign strategy
“The message is a humorous reality check: your future little girl doesn’t get to choose you either. A fully-function website, www.dontdissdaughters.com, helps drive the point home: before you go dissing girls, take a good look at yourself as a future dad”
Cheil North America campaign strategy:
“Here, the potential of a young woman is realized–in the form of an ad for a bestselling book by a fictional future CEO. That is, if she had been allowed to be born. The exploration of that thwarted potential is sobering and impactful–yet still remains optimistic.”
What do you think? Would the campaigns work? Would any amount of advertising change your desire for a baby of one sex or another?
Comments
55 Comments so far
Do we really need to push one gender over the other? shouldn’t the message be more about the importance of every precious human life? I have heard the feminist movement discredited by every day males and females because of it’s “man hating” agenda. I thought parity was the goal, not domination.
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You can’t choose the gender of your child in Australia so why push the point?
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Ugh iPhone can be so annoying…I come from an ethnic background and boys are considered ‘better’ than girls. More girls than boys in my family, each one was greeted with an “oh well” and I know my mum would never have had so many kids if my dad hadn’t put a huge amount of pressure on her to keep trying for a son. I’ve lost count how many times my sisters and I were insulted by our father and relatives only for the fact we were born female. It happens here in Australia all the time and I’ve lost count of how many times I have seen blatant examples of female children being treated disgustingly or their brothers being favoured. I’ve heard countless stories from friends in the medical profession of fathers walking out of hospital when their wives have given birth to a girl. I’m pretty sure I have a preference to have a daughter if I hopefully get pregnant again (I had a baby son who died along with my first husband but I was so young when I had him I can’t honestly remember thinking about these gender issues. I’m sure it has hit home far more being older and having a stepson now, how I relate more to my family etc) as a result but I know I’d be
deliriously happy either way. I have a stepson and he’s just the sweetest little bit of sunshine and I love him to bits and a niece who I just adore she is delicious! My father grew up in a rural farming community (as did my mother) and in his family there was a strong preference for sons to carry the workload and family name. My mum couldn’t care less and always made it clear. Now that my dad’s older, his attitude has changed so much, he is a much better dad now and an amazing grandfather and we talk openly about a lot of the damage he did to us growing up. He realizes his mistakes more so now but I don’t think he will ever realize or admit the kind of damage it does to a girl when she hears so many negative attributes just being born female. I still remember someone in our community having countless sons and he was known as “bob with 12 sons” and they finally had a little girl. For each baby I remember thinking that poor woman! In such a traditional household she had to do ALL the cooking, cleaning and housework for all those men. Her daughter grew up being a slave too. But the husband was seen as the luckiest man alive for having so many sons and what an amazing wife (for “giving him” so many sons). If the genders had been reversed, I can honestly say the man would have been looked upon with the highest amount of sympathy. to this day I hear about a family friend who had five daughters and comments that they sent their father to an early grave! I always think of the amazing PJ Harvey and her such powerful lyrics about being a strong powerful woman “nothing can touch me!” and yes, being a young highly intelligent and educated female I really got into PJ to try to try to work through my anger lol…I do have to say and all credit to my dad here. He pushed all of us girls to go to
university because he strongly believed women should be highly educated. We all have Masters degrees. I’ve watched so many women who got pressured into marrying very very young because education was considered a waste for them. Please be kind to your kids, that throwaway comment or the parents who do say “I wanted a boy” or “I wish you were a boy” does so much damage of thinking I’m not good enough or I wasn’t wanted. I have also admitted a slight preference for a girl as a result of my childhood, but I would be overjoyed just for a happy and healthy baby I don’t care about the gender to be honest. My stepson makes me so proud every single day he just kills me and I can’t wait to see what an amazing man he will grow up to be. The world needs more great men.
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Forgot to add, I’ve done a lot of work with Leo Burnett’s and they can be quite hit and miss with their ‘ideas’, but their campaign was one of my faves! Nice work Leo’s!
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I think this campaign is so unneccesary. I am a mum of 4 kids, 3 boys and one girl. My second was a girl and after six weeks she died after all her time was spent in hospital going through various testing and open heart surgery at 3 weeks. I felt physically sick when people would continously ask me while I was out with my 3 boys, “are you going to try for a girl?” knowing that I already had a girl. I went through a stage where almost every body I knew was having a girl and of course I just wanted my daughter to be here with us healthy and happy. I think the majority of people would think this campaign is just a waste of time especially those people who have spent anytime in a hospital with their sick child or those who have had to bury their child, regardless of gender.
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Interesting campaign, although here in Australia we are already positive towards girls.
If sex-selection ever became so easy in Australia that anyone could do it (for eg. if it was discovered that by having sex at a certain hours of your monthly cycle you’d be guaranteed a girl or a boy) – we’d have a far greater amount of girls being born.
I don’t think it’s weird that most women want to have girls – it’s pretty natural because they used to be girls themselves.
But some women prefer girls because of all the negativity towards boys in our society – in many ways our society rewards you for having girls and punishes you for having boys.
Most times when I hear a woman say she wants a boy, she’ll turn around and say ‘for her husband’ or because she’s “already had a girl” (or three). Often, I’ll hear a mum of all daughters say she wants her next baby to be a girl as well.
(I know some women prefer boys, but they’re not in the majority)
Our society is very negative about boys, and a campaign that promotes girls at the expense of boys is not the best we could do?
(Am assuming the campaign is American, but still.)
Boys are fantastic. Girls are fantastic. No comparison needed.
I prefer the last poster depicting the smart woman who didn’t have the chance to be born. It says it all.
(Someone below says this poster will upset those who’ve had abortions, but the poster is referencing gendercide, which is a very different subject.)
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I am feeling very smug! My sister is pregnant with a CHILD!!!!! Boy, girl, I don’t care!!! It’s a baby and and I AM SO EXCITED!
Good on her and her delightful husband. Should that child be a GIRL, oh, my god, there is so much good stuff to buy for girls!!!! Boys aren’t so easy to buy for, but if she had a BOY! OMG.
I’m just so pleased that she’s having one or the other!
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Why bother wanting anything but a healthy baby? Boy or girl is part of the lottery of life and to say no to a baby of either sex is like saying no to an opportunity to expand your life in a way that can bring you understanding, teach you about both sexes and how they develop into adults.
There shouldn’t be governments setting quotas on the sex of children borne into families. Parents are right to think about how they will cope with the gender of their children but rejecting a child outright because it’s not the gender they hoped for is really saddening for the parents and the child. What a lost opportunity!
Will any of the ads encourage people to think differently about girls? I’m not really sure. I hope so if it inspires people to feel more accepting about the incredible possibilities awaiting them when their surprise package arrives.
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You should try being the mother of an only child – who is a boy. All I used to hear is “why aren’t you having more children” and “you must be so disappointed not to have a daughter”. Used to drive me up the wall, luckily my son is 11 now so people seem to have given up. Most of the comments came from mothers of girls. To me it just perpetuated gender stereotypes and suggested that it was nicer for a female to mother a female. I’m so happy to know my child and to be helping him in his life – how could I possibly care if my child was a boy or a girl. We are very quick to judge cultures that value boys over girls, but really western societies hold some of the same prejudices.
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Some of these ads are interesting, but I agree with previous posters about the clear gender stereotyping.
I have a little boy, and seven weeks ago gave birth to a divine baby girl. It amazed me when I was pregnant to listen to th vast amount of people commenting ‘hoping’ that we would have a girl. Now, people keep telling me how much trouble she will be! Two separate strangers yesterday told me how grey she will send me, and that my son will cause ‘no trouble’. I am trying to parent both my children in the same way at the moment – I want them to be healthy, happy, polite children who know how much their parents love them, regardless of their gender.
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I don’t like the one where it shows what the girl would have achieved were she ‘allowed’ to be born….that could be too easily related to any abortion…and could be quite distressing for women who have had one.
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I have two boys who are everything to me.
Being from an ethnic background I get alot of comments my lack of a daughter “without a daughter you have nothing ” or ” you’re not a mother unless you have a girl ” the idea is a daughter always stays close to her mother and will take care of you when you get old…
I didn’t become a mother to ensure I had a carer in my old age and while I would have loved a little girl of my own I am an AWESOME auntie to my beloved three neices I am not jealous of my sister in law, there mother (who makes these lovely comments to me quite regularly) …
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I always found it hugely ironic that Henry VIII went through so many wives trying to find a woman who would give him a son, when all along it was his sperm that determined the gender.
Unfortunately the “prized son” thing still happens today. When my sister’s second child was another girl, her father in law (a farmer) commented “Oh well. I suppose you can always try again.” Asshat!
I have one of each, and couldn’t be happier. But I will admit that I worry more about my daughter’s future than my son. I have encountered the glass ceiling and the struggle of juggling full time work with a family. When she talks about what she wants to do when she grows up, I mentally evaluate whether it is “family friendly”. I want to discourage her from being a lawyer like me. But I don’t think about those things with my son. I am a little ashamed at how sexist my thinking may be. I guess I just know it hit me hard when I finally realised how hard it is to “have it all”, and I worry about her going through the same stuff.
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This is not selling girls, it is (mostly) mocking and belittling boys.
These ads are clearly not aimed at the third world where there is a problem of favouring boys over girls. They have been produced for entertainment in the first world, where (in my experience), girls are often favoured over boys anyway. Try seeing the pity you get as a parent of multiple boys in Australia to see what I mean.
Since when did sexism become funny only when targeted against males, especially on MM – a site that champions equality and respect. Seems that only flows one way around here.
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Agree. I find them quite sad in terms of the negative portrayal of boys.
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I was worried about having a boy because I was worried about deciding about circumcision!
Apart from that, I always had a feeling that KDot was a girl anyway, but it didn’t faze me either way. Any kid I raise will be full of awesome anyway!
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Love that line ‘full of awesome’ think it’s my new mantra for what I want my children to have!
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Check out Pigtail Pals, Shesaid: http://www.pigtailpals.com/
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Thanks for the website, just bought 2 Full of Awesome tshirts and a I’m growing up… tshirt!!
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Kris, loving Pigtail Pals new campaign. I think it was you that put me onto the Pretty’s Got nothing To Do With It t-shirts? Thanks! My girls are getting those plus Full of Awesome ones for Xmas!
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Yeah, I’ve linked it a couple of times on here. Cool! I need to do a bit of xmas shopping myself on there!
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In regards to social dynamics at school, has anyone else noticed how often parents say things like “Oh, that’s girls for you. They can be SO bitchy. Boys are so much more straightforward” No, I’m sorry but girls are NOT conniving bitches.
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Yes. I often see a real ‘Oh that’s girls for you’ with a roll of eyes and other negative body language. But if it’s ‘Oh that’s boys for you’ its usually said while laughing.
Not saying everyone is like this of course, just my observation in my life.
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I HATE when people make comments like that. I have two little girls and women with boys talk to me like my life is just a walk in the park because girls just sit and colour and play quietly with dolls. This is SOOO NOT TRUE! My girls are rambunctious as any kid, because they are kids. And the “boys will be boys” excuse to ignore poor behaviour and parenting. Drives me crazy!
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Girls with conniving bitchy mothers often turn out to be conniving and bitchy though…but as they dont see themselves as that, they dont see it in their daughters…..they call themselves the alpha girls, everyone else calls them the mean girls
And I do agree, the boys will be boys comment is a cop out for not controlling them.
Apart from wanting healthy babies, with each pregnancy I also secretly wanted girls. I have only just worked out why. The only little boys I had anything to do with were my feral cousins and my nephew, who was the only grandchild on both sides of the family for several years and as a result he was complete spoilt brat. His mother was of the boys will be boys mind set because she couldnt be bothered. So he was a very unlikeable child.
Now I have my own boys, I love them to bits, but am hard on them, probably because of my strong memories of all the revolting little boys I remember. I love them exactly the same was as I love my girls and I expect and demand they behave with respect, not to run wild.
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I am 18 weeks pregnant with my second…my first is a very lovely little man! I didnt find out the sex first round i was happy with a surprise, but i have so much pressure on me to have a girl…every single person keeps saying to me, “i know its a girl”….no u dont u freaking liar…u just assume it will be a girl as i have a boy already! I am finding out the sex though this time(next week) i do want a girl, but i will be ok if its a boy of coarse, but i need to be prepared this round! I am so worried what my reaction will be though if the Ultra sound lady says its a boy! i am sure it will be pure joy, but im still so worried that i will have some weird reaction….just because i feel like this huge pressure is on me to have a girl! Either way i will be happy….a girl would be handy cos i love all the option for clothes haha but i could also go broke..either way i will be happy!!
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Love these ads!
), and to let go of my mental image of those two boys playing together. But I did, and 9 years later I would not swap her for the world. She loves shoes and shopping and owns more makeup than me, but I’m coping. She is utterly divine and I would never be without her.
I was never a “girly” girl (not into Barbies, clothes etc- still don’t wear makeup or give two hoots about shoes or shopping) and as such was very happy when our first child was a boy. Two year later when I was pregnant again everyone was ADAMANT it was another boy (largely because I was so enormous), and that was fine with me- I loved the idea of two boys, so they could play together and share toys and rooms, etc. When our daughter emerged (all 9lb 1 of her at 36 weeks) I was astonished- and nervous. It took me a good week to actually accept that I had a girl (some would argue I never did, because I called her Cameron
(Same for my son. Oh, and they play together fantastically.)
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The fact you call your daughter utterly divine made my heart smile! Nothing better than a nice mother daughter relationship!!
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Thank you
We have a truly fabulous relationship… but maybe check back in 5 years or so! That said, I will be doing everything I can to maintain it.
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Wow, I kind of think these are terrible. They all just reinforce stereotypes, and many of them seem to imply girls are better then boys- which is just a reversal of the old problem. If I were making one I’d have a boy and a girl standing beside one another with text super imposed over them.
Over the girl, list style in small print- “She has your smile, She has your gift for soccer, She’s got your taste in icecream”
Then over the boy, list style, in small print- “He has your freckles, He hides his peas- just like you used to, He’s got your passion for fishing”
Then in big print at the top ‘BOY/GIRL?’ with a big red line slashed through the words then ‘yours’.
Much better. lol
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I don’t agree that they all reinforce stereotypes, although some are quite unfair to boys. The future CEO and the Amy Poehler ads are great – they suggest the potential for girls to achieve so much in the world without belittling boys.
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Emily – that’s perfect!
You should be in advertising!
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I really like the boys are 76% time more likely to set something on fire one! i think it’s a great idea for a campaign but i don’t imagine it’ll change perceptions too much.
I may be really unobservant but i never knew some people were so adamant against having a girl in Western society. Surely having a happy healthy child is more important. I understand in poorer countries the wanting of a boy as the girl always leaves her family when married but that shouldn’t come into play here so i wonder why people are so against it.
http://www.xxxmissvxxx.wordpress.com
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I did my bit to beef up the girls numbers! Still love setting fire to things (though obviously only in appropriate circumstances).
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i’ll admit, so did i!!
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I wanted girls (I have two boys) because I am one of three girls and it’s what I know and understand. All of my friends wanted girls (for various reasons) and all have at least one…I find myself defending my boys all the time – no they’re not silly, smelly, crazy or loud. They don’t break things or get in trouble…in fact, they’re better behaved than the girls! But, I have found that I hate the stereotypes either way. Boy or girl, it truly doesn’t matter. It’s the child. The thing I hate the most though – it’s ok for girls to wear anything, play with anything, be anything…not so with boys. They have to deal with so many more restrictions.
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I just want to add as well that when I was pregnant with our second baby (one daugther already), one of our elderly neighbours came up to me in the street and patted my tummy (I didn’t mind as I know her and she is sweet) but she then put her hands together in the prayer position and said ‘boy, boy, let it be a boy’!
But now when she sees our girls, she cannot kiss and cuddle them enough. She now says to me ‘two girls, so special’ and she brings them freshly picked cherries and apricots from her garden.
Odd.
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I got the opposite when I was pregnant with my second (first was a boy)…everyone wants you to have one of each it seems…
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Agree!
We can’t win can we?!
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Absolutely sensational. Girls are so special and without them there would literally be no future. In some countries if a family has a girl, she may go without a name for as long as 3 years while her family mourn her birth. Nice huh?
I’d love to see ads promoting women not as sex-objects but as mothers, daughters, sisters, lovers, wives, teachers, etc. Without the icky cliches but to really help people begin to respect women as thinking, feeling beings and not objects.
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When I was pregnant I hoped and prayed I would have a boy. No advertising would have affected this – my sister had been raped twice by a family ‘friend’ and to me, having a boy would minimise the risk of something this awful happening to one of my children (girls, in my mind, being more likely to be subject to sexual abuse). I gave birth to a beautiful daughter. When I was pregnant the second time, I cared slightly less for the same reason but thought it would be a boy. I have another beautiful daughter. I feel very blessed. We are currently discussing number 3 – my husband says if I can guarantee a girl, he’s in! (yes, I point out he is responsible for the outcome, not me). For me though,.give me a healthy happy child, that’s all that counts.
It is interesting though, in my group of friends, all the women with boys were very keen to have a little girl…
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Funny, when I was pregnant I was adamant I was having a boy and couldn’t be persuaded otherwise. I now have a gorgeous baby girl and I love her more than words can say. I really want another girl but if I have a boy, thats ok to…
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Weird. Aren’t there studies showing that Fathers tend to favour their little girls a bit and Mothers their sons? Maybe that’s only once they’re actually born?
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I don’t get it! I’m the youngest of five (5) girls and yes, probably mum and dad were hoping for a boy at some point – possibly me. But they got what they got and no one in my family suggested that I wasn’t a) planned
b) wanted
or c) disspointed
My mum was just happy that at 42 she gave birth to another healthy and happy child. And my Dad enjoyed that he had another childl to show off his carpentry skills and take fishing.
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I have one group of friends who I go out to dinner with monthly. They all have boys (one of them as 2 boys and 1 girl) and I have just girls.
They talk all the time about how they thank their lucky stars they don’t have girls and how ‘difficult’ little girls are and how they couldn’t possibly imagine themselves being a mother of a girl because girls are ‘too high maintenance’ whereas boys are happy to just race around on their bikes (example only).
And the one mother with 2 boys and 1 girl does nothing but bitch and moan about her daughter (the middle child) and when she was pregnant with No. 3 kept saying how she ‘hoped go god’ she was having another boy and not a girl. I have never heard her say (or observed when I have been at their house) anything remotely affection or positive about her daughter. And she is always moaning to me about other people’s children she doesn’t like – and they are always girls.
I find it all heartbreaking.
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What a fun gathering that must be…
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Well it’s fun for them because they all have something in common and can complain/moan/glaot together about having boys.
But I want to say… ‘Know your audience ladies’!
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That’s so sad. That little girl is going to grow up with so many problems.
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I do think the same often… When we go to their house, she always climbs up onto my lap and asks me to do drawing or colouring with her. She doesn’t leave my side.
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I think that life experiences would influence your “choice” of gender more then an advertisement.
I always wanted a girl but since working in childcare I am no longer too concerned with gender.
But really the IMPORTANT thing is that they are healthy!!
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I want boys. Because I am terrified I will mother my daughters in the same way my mother did with me: badly.
In saying that, the rational side of me knows I am not my mother, my partner is not my father and I would actually be thrilled with either.
I never wanted to have children, I was so afraid to have a girl. Then, I got two of the most adorable cousins in the world who I am very close to.
They are 2 and 3 and I love them both to bits. Equal bits.
So I think these ads need to show that personal perspective, somehow.
At the end of the day, it’s all a gamble and that’s half the fun!
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I wanted a boy for exactly the same reasons.
I also never wanted children, until about 18 months ago, then I decided it was time to have a baby. When I got pregnant I kept saying ‘I hope it’s a boy’, and when people asked if I had a preference I always said ‘boy’ (this shocked almost everyone, APPARENTLY you’re not meant to tell people your preference…)
I had a little girl. She is four months old, and so far so good. I’m determined not to be like my mother, and refuse to parent my little girl the way she ‘parented’ me.
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I have two sisters, my mum has 2 sisters and my dad has 2 sisters, now my older sister has 2 girls of her own. I know what it’s like to be around girls/women but having said that as long as my future kid(s) are healthy I don’t care if it’s a girl or a boy.
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I have to admit I would be nervous about raising boys. I grew up with only a sister, very few male friends and a Dad who grew up in a nearly all female household so works well with women. I kind of worry that I wouldn’t know enough to raise a boy.
But in reality, I would just be happy to have a baby, gender really isn’t much about what I think when I consider having kids.
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I am not one of the people that has been brainwashed by society into thinking girl=bad, bitchy, superficial, unworthy, not funny. I absolutely adore women and girls and would be incredibly grateful to have a baby girl one day.
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