Deferring gender equality until the next generation: evidence of the persistence of postfeminist discourse in advertising

ABSTRACT

Through a textual analysis of award-winning femvertising, this article identifies and articulates the elements of an iteration of postfeminist discourse featuring children, which we refer to as the “next generation” discourse. The next generation discourse includes elements common in postfeminism, such as a tendency to focus attention on women’s individual efforts as the key to their success and to ignore the impact of structural inequalities. Next generation discourse also contains a unique element. Through lofty statements about how youth are naturally unbiased and value equality, this discourse defers change until the next generation. It assumes that policy- and decision-makers don’t have to make changes, and feminism is no longer needed, because society is inevitably headed toward equality thanks to the next generation.

KEYWORDS:

• Feminism
• postfeminism
• femvertising
• gender
• advertising

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kasey Windels

Kasey Windels is an associate professor of advertising at the University of Florida. Her research interests center on the advertising agency itself, specifically on creativity and gender within the agency. One stream of research examines why there are so few women in creative roles, while another examines the social and environmental factors that influence agency creativity. E-mail: [email protected].

Sara Champlin

Sara Champlin is an associate professor of advertising at the University of North Texas. Dr. Champlin’s research focuses on the use of strategic communication principles to improve public wellbeing. Her work addresses the commodification of social issues and the role brands can play in contributing to positive societal outcomes such as decreased stigma and the support of underserved communities. E-mail: [email protected]

Heidi Makady

Heidi Makady is a Doctoral student in University of Florida. Her research interests center on understanding news audiences and their cross-platform news consumption and impacts of digital journalism on political engagement. Her previous research work includes perceptions of online newsworthiness and the effect of online news messages on the spread of rumors. Makady has worked in advertising at multiple international firms. E-mail: [email protected]