Unilever’s Unique Approach to Advertising

With Cannes as a backdrop, Unilever said it is moving its advertsing away from stereotypical portrayals of gender; delivering fresh campaigns that are more relevant to today’s consumer. The company is using the tagline, #unstereotype. 


Unilever is urging marketers globally to be aware of the outdated stereotypes of gender that advertising still propagates and the fact that progressive portrayals are proven to not only be better for society, but better for brands.


“Stereotyping in advertising is a prevalent issue for all genders. However, our research shows that the negative effects are most keenly felt when it comes to representations of females,” said Aline Santos, EVP-global marketing, Unilever. “In fact, 40% of women say they do not identify at all with the women they see in adverts. Advertising can be a powerful force in leading positive cultural change. We believe it is our responsibility, alongside the industry, to be at the forefront of this change by positively portraying people as they truly are today – progressive ads will lead us to a progressive future for all.”


Unilever carried out multiple in-depth studies around the world over the last two years to better understand how female identity has evolved and how brands can be more relevant and better connected. According to Santos, Unilever validated through testing with Millward Brown that more progressive advertising generates stronger engagement, talkability and delivers better branded impact.


“This shows that not only is there an important societal imperative for this change but a business imperative as well; it’s an important journey that we must go on if we want to ensure we are truly maximizing the potential of our creative outputs for today’s audiences,” Santos explained.


Unilever plans to advance portrayals of gender in its ads with a special focus on women by addressing three key areas; Role, Personality and Appearance. Roles should more broadly represent aspirations and wider achievements beyond product-related responsibilities. Personalities depicted should shift to become more authentic and three dimensional. Appearance should be presented as enjoyable and non-critical, creating a positive and creative interest in being whoever you want to be.


“The time is right for us as an industry to challenge and change how we portray gender in our advertising,” said Keith Weed, global CMO, Unilever. “Our industry spends billions of dollars annually shaping perceptions and we have a responsibility to use this power in a positive manner. As Unilever we are at the start of a journey, and we are passionate about challenging the stereotypes that are pervasive.”