Rethinking gender archetypes in modern advertising

Anna Hamill

The traditional Jung-inspired ‘12 Brand Archetypes’ are outdated – this article outlines alternatives that better reflect and promote more accurate representations of gender within creative work.

As the advertising industry begins to examine how it portrays gender in its work and tackle decades-long stereotypes, Sarah May, Senior Planner at 303MullenLowe in Sydney, believes the work to rethink gender in advertising should be much more than just a tokenistic effort to push diversity.

“It's actually bigger than that. It's for those minds – the young, impressionable minds – that eventually will see comms, advertising, and see their world narrow because of bad stereotypes,” May said at the Mumbrella360 conference in Sydney recently.

Both genders are victims of stereotyping in creative work: May noted that men are often...

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