Target US To Move Away From Gender Labels On Advertising

Target US To Move Away From Gender Labels On Advertising
ERIN MARY Doyle
By ERIN MARY Doyle



Target in the US has announced that the classic ‘girls like pink, boys like blue’ advertising will be phased out in their stores.

In a press release from Target US, the store announced that over the coming months products would no longer be defined by gender:

“Historically, guests have told us that sometimes—for example, when shopping for someone they don’t know well—signs that sort by brand, age or gender help them get ideas and find things faster. But we know that shopping preferences and needs change and, as guests have pointed out, in some departments like Toys, Home or Entertainment, suggesting products by gender is unnecessary.

“Right now, our teams are working across the store to identify areas where we can phase out gender-based signage to help strike a better balance. For example, in the kids’ Bedding area, signs will no longer feature suggestions for boys or girls, just kids. In the Toys aisles, we’ll also remove reference to gender, including the use of pink, blue, yellow or green paper on the back walls of our shelves. You’ll see these changes start to happen over the next few months.”

Target’s gender labels came over scrutiny this year, when an Ohio woman tweeted this picture of a Target toy section:

The issue of gender limiting advertising has been a hot topic over the past year; Laurie Pressman, vice president of Pantone Colour Institute, told B&T that consumer packaged goods are “slower to the punch” when it comes to using breaking gender stereotypes, Salesforce’s vice president of marketing, Asia Pacific, Wendy Johnstone, told B&T that gender stereotyping is ruining business innovation and the Always #LikeAGirl ad has been a viral ad campaign busting stereotypes.

There’s no indication that Target in Australia will be following their US counterparts lead.




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