AANA Updates Gender Stereotype Guidance

AANA Updates Gender Stereotype Guidance

The AANA today launched an updated Code of Ethics Practice Note, which will assist advertisers to understand how the Code of Ethics applies gender stereotyping and be applied by the Ad Standards Community Panel in making its determinations.

The new guidance applies to Section 2.1 of the AANA Code of Ethics (the Code) which prohibits advertising which “discriminates against or vilifies a person on the basis of gender”, as well as a range of other bases, including ethnicity, age and sexual preference.

“The AANA’s new guidance aims to reinforce responsible advertising and to provide greater guidance to advertisers and agencies so that they don’t unwittingly reinforce negative stereotypes,” the AANA’s director of policy & regulatory affairs, Simone Brandon (main photo), said.

The new guidance features examples of gender stereotyping that would be in breach of the Code, such as depicting family members creating a mess while a woman is the only one tasked with cleaning it up. An advertisement that features a man trying and failing at a simple parental or household task may also be in breach of the Code.

The AANA said that the Code does not prohibit advertisers from featuring women or men performing tasks commonly associated with their gender, such as a woman doing the washing or a man doing DIY tasks.

“However, advertisers should take care to avoid suggesting that a particular role is exclusively performed by men or women,” Brandon said.

The evolution of gender stereotype guidance by the AANA reflects brand owners’ intent to continue to meet the community’s expectations for responsible advertising, helping to ensure that advertising has a positive impact in terms of representing and promoting gender equality in society. It is the codes and the self-regulatory system which both promote and deliver trust between advertisers and consumers.
Ad Standards said it welcomed the additional guidance.

“Complaints about discrimination on the basis of gender, including gender stereotyping, can continue to be made to Ad Standards. Consumer complaints are determined by the Ad Standards Community Panel, which is comprised of members of the Australian public,” said Ad Standards’ CEO, Fiona Jolly.

Commenting on the update, Unilever Australia and New Zealand’s head of media and PR, Anneliese Douglass, said: “We want to eliminate outdated gender stereotypes in our advertising to ensure that we continue to accurately represent the diversity of the communities in which we operate. Through our membership of the AANA and our own #Unstereotype Alliance, Unilever is committed to ensuring advertising moves away from unhelpful stereotypical portrayals of gender, delivering positive campaigns that are more relevant to today’s consumer.”

The updated Practice Note also provides guidance on the Code of Ethics requirement that advertising or marketing communication must not portray people or depict material in a way which discriminates against or vilifies a person or section of the community on account of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual preference, religion, disability, mental illness or political belief.




Please login with linkedin to comment

AANA

Latest News

EMG/Gravity Media Names New Managing Director
  • Media

EMG/Gravity Media Names New Managing Director

The recently merged EMG and Gravity Media has appointed Scott Kinlyside as managing director of its Australian operations. Kinlyside will oversee strategic leadership, and operational and financial management in Australia and is the latest senior hire following CFO Warwick Lynch, chief transformation and M&A officer Stéphane Vermersch, chief commercial and strategy officer Sean Seamer and […]

Opinion: Shark Tank’s Sabri Suby Slams Politician’s Jumping On TikTok Ban Bandwagon
  • Opinion

Opinion: Shark Tank’s Sabri Suby Slams Politician’s Jumping On TikTok Ban Bandwagon

In this opinion piece Sabri Suby, founder and head of growth at King Kong, shares his opinion on speculation that the Australian government could ban TikTok. I’m not surprised some Australian politicians are jumping on the bandwagon as the US currently considers banning TikTok. Liberal senator James Paterson has said that the platform is unsafe […]

Veridooh Snatches Prashand Menon From ScentreGroup
  • Advertising

Veridooh Snatches Prashand Menon From ScentreGroup

Out-of-home OOH) and digital media leader Prashand Menon (lead image) has joined OOH ad tech company Veridooh as group business director within NSW and QLD. Menon joins Veridooh from his most recent role as ScentreGroup’s group business director and brings with him more than 10 years of experience in Australian media. Previously, he held positions […]

Kat & Co Transforms Into THE WORLD OF Experiential Agency
  • Advertising

Kat & Co Transforms Into THE WORLD OF Experiential Agency

After more than twelve years of producing experiences for some of the world’s most innovative brands, including Hermes, Van Cleef & Arpels, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co, Kat & Co has quietly metamorphosed into THE WORLD OF. THE WORLD OF is an experiential agency at the juncture of culture, technology and the human condition. […]

SMG Studio Launches Risk: Global Domination X Dune Part Two
  • Campaigns

SMG Studio Launches Risk: Global Domination X Dune Part Two

Through a licensing agreement with Legendary Entertainment, SMG Studio inked the rights to adapt Dune: Part Two into a game based on Risk: Global Domination, Hasbro’s interactive board game. Inspired by Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic masterpiece, Dune: Part Two, this new digital adaptation, RISK: Global Domination X Dune: Part Two, is poised to captivate players from […]

QMS: Taylor Swift, Lunar New Year & Mardi Gras Were Boon For OOH Market
  • Marketing

QMS: Taylor Swift, Lunar New Year & Mardi Gras Were Boon For OOH Market

Taylor Swift, Lunar New Year and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival have had a dramatic impact on the number of people moving in and around Sydney over the past month, drawing big crowds into the heart of the city and its surrounding suburbs. New data from digital outdoor company QMS reveals a […]

Legend John McEnroe Joins Pepperstone’s Team Of Global Tennis Ambassadors
  • Marketing

Legend John McEnroe Joins Pepperstone’s Team Of Global Tennis Ambassadors

Tennis legend, former World No. 1 and seven-time grand slam singles champion John McEnroe has joined forces with Forex (FX) and Contracts for Difference (CFD) broker Pepperstone. Lead image: Tamas Szabo, Pepperstone Group CEO and John McEnroe McEnroe joins Australian and current World No. 9 Alex de Minaur in Pepperstone’s stable of stars, with the […]

LinkedIn Launches New Thought Leader Ads For Companies To Promote Member Posts
  • Advertising

LinkedIn Launches New Thought Leader Ads For Companies To Promote Member Posts

LinkedIn has announced the expansion of its Thought Leader Ads’ capabilities so advertisers can sponsor content from any member – not just employees – to enable brands to amplify a diverse range of influential, trusted, and expert voices and member posts on the platform. 73 per cent of decision-makers say that an organisation’s thought leadership […]

MKTG Launches PR & Talent Division Realigning Business Structure
  • Marketing

MKTG Launches PR & Talent Division Realigning Business Structure

Dentsu‘s MKTG Sports and Entertainment has unveiled a significant evolution, including the launch of a specialised PR and Talent Marketing division, investment in expanding its Creative Services group, and a centralised approach to brand and rights holder servicing with increased production capabilities and a strengthened in-stadium sports presentation team. Lead Image: MKTG CD Ross Allen; […]