Creative critique from a gender lens: 16-20 October

What worked: 

Nike (Japan)

Nike's 'imperfect you' campaign, to mark International Day of the Girl Child, presents a compelling narrative that particularly focuses on the challenges faced by young women in Japan. The campaign effectively addresses the burden of perfection that impacts the younger generation, particularly Gen Z. It highlights the pressures of excelling academically, finding stable employment, and maintaining an idealised social media presence, all of which disproportionately affect young women.

Aika's time-travelling journey, where she witnesses the struggles of Japanese women across different eras, underscores the timeless quest for perfection. This emphasises the long-standing societal expectations on women to conform to certain standards. Nike's message that sports can be a powerful tool for self-expression and confidence-building sends a strong message of empowerment to young women.

Overall, this communication is commendable as it encourages women to break free from societal constraints and embrace their true selves.

Gender Sensitivity Score (GSS): 3.5/5 

What did not work: 

Swiggy Instamart

Swiggy's campaign promoting Instamart's '10-minute delivery' for the festive season, while creatively presented, raises concerns from a gender perspective. The advertisement portrays households assigning shopping tasks to their family members, with women primarily handing out lists to men. This depiction reinforces two problematic stereotypes.

First, it perpetuates the stereotype that outdoor shopping is traditionally a 'man's job.' This portrayal implies that men are responsible for venturing outside to handle shopping-related tasks, while women are confined to domestic responsibilities. Such gender stereotypes can be harmful as they limit both men and women to predefined roles based on their gender, rather than recognising their individual preferences and capabilities.

Second, the advertisement suggests that the man who opts for Instamart is the 'smart' one, implying that men are more technologically savvy. This reinforces gender biases and perpetuates the idea that men are naturally better equipped for technology and innovation, while women are not.

GSS: 2.75/5

Other films from the week:

Sprite

GSS: 3/5

Kingfisher

GSS: 3/5

Orient Electric

GSS: 3/5

AU Small Finance Bank

GSS: 3.25/5

Platinum love bands

GSS: 3/5

Lotte Choco Pie

GSS: 3/5

Manyavar

GSS: 3/5

Cadbury Celebrations 

GSS: 3.25/5

Doritos

GSS: 2.5/5