Where Have All the Women Gone?
How many women do you see on the screen who look like, talk, and act like you? If you’re not a woman, and you’re reading this, ask yourself the same questions about the women you know — do you see them in ads?
Women are impacted deeply by on-screen representations of who they are. In previous blogs, we’ve talked about how reducing women to submissive roles — the dutiful housewife, the self-sacrificing friend, the “yes” woman ready to please her man or her boss — is problematic. Fortunately, these reductionist portrayals are increasingly rare. However, ads have an insidious new normal.
It’s equally problematic to reinforce the impossible standards thrust on women. If you listen to life according to ads in 2023, she’s expected to do it all — rise to the top of the corporate ladder, dress impeccably, and be ever available to support, love, and nurture the people in her life, all with a smile on her face. We want better representation. And some women are nearly left out of the picture entirely.
Women over 40.
What happens when an entire subset of women is nearly invisible in ads?
As one woman from our 2018 Women Over 40 research shared with us, “Women over 40 are invisible in the cultural lexicon.”
The biggest gender gap in advertising
Advertising is hyperfocused on the lives of teenagers and women in their 20s. Look for high-quality ads depicting women over 40 authentically, and you’ll find yourself walking through a ghost town.
Our 2018 research into women over 40 found that most women in this age group feel chronically misunderstood by brands. Here’s the unfiltered truth:
Two in three women over 40 feel brands systematically underestimate their spending power.
Over three in four women over 40 feel brands systematically underestimate their intelligence.
Most (84%) women over 40 feel brands systematically overestimate their preoccupation with their physical appearance.
As one respondent shared, “‘They’ do not truly understand women and what their lives are really like. The branding that I have seen, even when it tries to relate, doesn’t feel authentic but as ‘trying’ to relate. Like it was made, for the most part, by a man. It is like a man dressed up in women’s clothing.”
After we released our 2018 research, it would have been great if the advertising landscape had changed (a girl can dream, right?), but our taboo research shows advertisers are still falling short.
Altogether, two in three women from our taboo research say women in midlife are not portrayed accurately. Advertisers, are you listening yet?
Do your research
We cannot accurately portray women of any age without hearing and seeing them. Advertisers must seek to understand women, commit to accurate representation, and then roll up their sleeves and do the work.
As our 2018 research revealed, women over 40 are thriving. They feel wiser, sexier, more confident, more powerful, more energized, and, paradoxically, younger than ever before, and yet they do not see their experience in ads. Often, ads targeting them focus on products for aging, slowing down, or desperately seeking ways to look and feel younger.
Women want accurate representation, and they put the onus of responsibility on brands.
Most women believe brands should advance women’s issues.
Most women believe brands should play a role in advancing gender equality.
Most women believe brands should actively debunk gender stereotypes.
Though it’s been five years since our women over 40 research, our taboo research shows similar sentiments amongst women of all ages.
Two of the three segments we identified, Boundary Pushers and Female Favorers (which combined account for about two in three women overall), are more likely to say ads promote unreasonable standards for women and that brands need to move society forward.
Research from the International Journal of Advertising found that women ages 53-71 want ads to convey a sense of belonging, show age-appropriate attractiveness, and show a woman of purpose.
Are you listening?
Meet women where they are
If you want access to women over 40 (and their immense spending power), stop ignoring them. Stop assuming you know their story. Start listening.
Take responsibility. Hell, make it your mission to do right by women and use your advertising power and influence to champion accurate representation. You’ll win fans among women over 40 who will be more likely to support your brand.
Go below the surface. Creating an ad featuring SUPERMOM is low-hanging fruit. Do better. Show women living complex, purpose-driven, diverse lives. Not all women are mothers. Some women are mothers — and so much more. Nuance is your friend here.
Complexity is also your friend. Challenge yourself to create ads that show purpose, meaning, self-determination, personal and professional growth, belonging, and more. You know, the actual experiences that help women feel seen and heard.
Mastering complexity is no small task. Let us help! Email us at info@fancynyc.com for creative direction and woman-forward quality control. In the meantime, you can continue learning more about women’s perspectives by downloading our executive summary.
