For too long, brands have played it safe, operating within narrow boundaries when it comes to representing women’s lives. Beauty brands have long portrayed women as perpetually flawless & radiant, an unattainable "after" that doesn't sync up with the reality of even the best possible results for a real-life consumer. Fitness brands tend to focus on young, thin, athletic women rather than reflecting the diverse body types of real gym-goers. And pharmaceutical brands exist in a world of flower gardens, farmers' markets, and grandchildren. These limited portrayals miss the mark on what it actually means to be a woman today—the many facets of her life that she juggles, along with her quest to take care of herself, her home, her career, her personal life, and everything in between.

The Problem: Media’s One-Dimensional Portrayal of Women

Many aspects of a woman's life have been hidden or ignored by culture, society, and the media that reflects them. Historically, women’s health issues were dismissed as hysteria, while financial independence was rarely portrayed as an option. Media has long prioritized idealized versions of womanhood—housewives in the 1950s, impossibly thin supermodels in the 1990s, and the curated perfection of influencers today—rather than the full, messy, and complex realities of real women’s lives.

Advertising, in turn, has followed suit, reinforcing outdated norms instead of challenging them. These things are normal parts of her everyday life. Things like reproductive health, sexual pleasure, mental health, cannabis consumption, financial concerns, death, invisible disabilities, unconventional relationships, violence, trauma, and the list goes on and on.

It’s Not Just Up to Stigmatized Categories to Normalize Women’s Lives

The way real life gets integrated into the images and ideas behind the thousands of ads we see every day, the secrecy and shame start to lift. However, this weight should not be borne solely by brands within these stigmatized categories. The normalization occurs when brands in other categories recognize more aspects of our lives and how their products and services fit into them.

Products related to menstruation, menopause, and motherhood are expected to tackle taboos head-on, while brands in other categories largely avoid engaging with the realities of womanhood. But when companies outside the traditionally underserved or stigmatized spaces make an effort to normalize women’s experiences, they don’t just break down barriers—they build loyalty, trust, and real connections.

Women Notice the Brands That Get It

Here's the thing: women notice the brands that see them as whole people. It’s one thing for a period care brand to acknowledge the needs of perimenopausal women (which, to be fair, many still don’t). It’s another for a car brand, a grocery store, or a tech company to reflect the everyday realities of women’s lives. Think about an ad for a spacious SUV where a woman is loading groceries into the back, and among the visible items is a box of tampons. Or better yet, a man doing the same—because acknowledging that periods exist shouldn’t be a gendered burden.

This kind of representation isn’t just about inclusion—it’s about respect. It signals that a brand truly understands its audience and isn’t shying away from the details that make up real life. The recognition that new moms pump at work and often have to do it in bathrooms, cars, or storage closets because the world still isn’t built with them in mind. The understanding that single women—whether they’re 25 or 65—are out there dating and navigating the same ups and downs of modern relationships. That women of all ages buy their own condoms, take charge of their sexual health, and don’t need a cutesy euphemism for it. That women of all ages and backgrounds are making their own financial decisions, from investments to home buying, without waiting for permission. These are the kinds of realities that go unspoken in most advertising, yet they shape the lives of millions of women every single day.

The Brands Getting It Right

Brands who layer these aspects of real life into their depictions of "advertising life" don’t just check an inclusivity box—they create authentic brand messaging that fosters genuine consumer connection. Consider brands like Thinx, which normalized period underwear by directly addressing the realities of menstruation in everyday life, or Subaru, which excelled in building loyalty by portraying women as adventurers, professionals, and caregivers—not just passive passengers. They show women they get it—and more importantly, they show women they get them. And that is how you build lasting loyalty.

The Takeaway: All Brands Benefit from Normalizing Women’s Real Lives

NNormalizing the normal shouldn’t be left solely to brands in “expected” categories. When every brand, no matter the industry, embraces the full spectrum of women’s experiences, they send a powerful message:

We see you. We get you.

And that, in turn, makes women more likely to reward them with their trust—and their business.