gender equality and stereotypes in the creative industry

This ad is too pink.

That woman is too undressed in the ad.

On that poster, the man is a builder, the woman – a housewife.

A man was hired as a financial officer.

After the party, the office needed cleaning—and a woman stayed behind.

They’re both managers at the same company, in the same position. One earns more. One is a man, the other – a woman…

If any of these sound familiar and made you smile bitterly, today’s article will resonate.

An event organized by Ad Black Sea and UN Women gave us the opportunity to explore how gender stereotypes affect both the creative industry and our daily lives. It was a valuable moment for marketers, copywriters, scriptwriters, art directors, and others to reflect on the importance of inclusive environments—whether in a campaign or everyday work. We discussed the impact of gender stereotypes on individuals and society, and analyzed campaigns—many of which were created by us or our colleagues. Special thanks to Camila Pardo and Yan De Simone from agency BI Universe.

That event inspired today’s minds&marketing article.

The advertising and creative industries play a major role in shaping public opinion—reinforcing or challenging existing stereotypes. As any industry should aim to create a positive impact locally and globally, creatives have a responsibility to use their resources and influence wisely. At the very least, not to amplify harmful ideas—and ideally, to push back against them.

A look back – remembering problematic ads

Not too long ago, sexist elements were commonplace in creative industries. Whether it was humor, parody, or just poor taste is up for debate—but the truth is, years ago, the industry often lacked accountability. Take a moment and think about Georgian ads you’ve seen that struck you as deeply sexist.

I don’t know which ones came to your mind—but let me share a few that came to mine:

Simulated sex in an “Elite Electronics” ad

In 2012, a New Year’s ad showed a woman in a car. The first few seconds gave the impression of a sexual act. Then the camera zoomed out to reveal a man stuffing gifts into the car to shut the door. Hard to believe today, but this aired for weeks on national TV. While it did spark criticism and media coverage, the company’s response was never made public.

“Husband-ATM” by Bank of Georgia

A 2014 poster portrayed a woman asking her partner for money so often that he was compared to an ATM. Georgia’s Public Defender deemed it sexist and a promoter of harmful gender stereotypes. It reinforced unrealistic perceptions—especially since, at the time, women’s economic activity was on the rise.

Sexist branding and messaging by energy drink “Bugha”

2017 feels recent, yet that’s when a brand built its whole strategy around gender stereotypes. The packaging read: Not for girls. Their social media campaign: Bugha is for real men. The branding was so inappropriate that the Public Defender urged the company to rebrand:
“The packaging is offensive to women and promotes gender inequality, emphasizing male dominance. Such sexist language or imagery deepens discrimination and legitimizes harmful practices,” the statement said.

Around the same time, there was GPI Holding’s Women’s Day campaign: Caution – a woman near the mirror!, and many others that would take too long to list here.

As we can see, gender-stereotyped campaigns were quite common in the recent past. While the industry is more cautious today, stereotypes can still slip through. A recent example was PSP’s Women's Day campaign on selective abortion. While it tackled an important issue, some viewers said the all-pink visual amplified stereotypes, suggesting women’s lives revolve around self-care and cosmetics. The heavy use of product placements was seen as a risky decision, and the reaction reflected that.

Also notable was Zoomer’s campaign that stated: Women don’t need empowering—the environment does. While the message was strong, many still criticized the recurring use of pink, found in smoke effects and poster backgrounds, reinforcing the tired stereotype that pink is for girls.

Stereotypes in the workplace

At the Ad Black Sea x UN Women event, we not only discussed how the industry reinforces stereotypes—but also how we experience them ourselves.

Adriana Leigh (International Gender Expert, UN Women) used her talk and exercises to show how inclusive leadership and healthy workspaces are essential for both better campaigns and better businesses.

“We fight bias in our creative work. Let’s fight it in our workplaces too.” – Adriana Leigh

While reviewing simulated cases onscreen, I heard two real-life ones at my own table:

Case #1

“I was handling copy for a whiskey brand at a creative agency. All my materials got approved easily, no comments ever. Later I left, and a woman took over the project. For the first month, everything went smoothly. Then the client found out the copywriter had changed. Suddenly, the approvals became difficult. Feedback started coming in. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

Case #2

“I’ve worked at a creative agency for 6 years. I’m an Art Director now. I’ve had plenty of moments where I wasn’t taken seriously—like, what could this young woman possibly know? I try not to let it affect me, but of course it impacts my mood.”

It’s hard to create stereotype-free campaigns when we’re constantly bumping into stereotypes ourselves. What we need is awareness, asking the right questions, and—most importantly—education. People may hold the right beliefs but still make biased decisions because that’s just how it’s done.

A 2024 study on gender equality perceptions in Georgia reflects this.
It states: “Despite some improvements and promising signs, discriminatory social norms and attitudes continue to hinder the progress of women and girls in Georgia.”

That’s why events and projects like this matter—because they remind us of our social responsibility.

 

In conclusion:

Gender stereotypes are part of our daily lives—often so naturally integrated that we don’t even notice them. That’s why the creative industry bears a dual responsibility: on one hand, not to become a channel that spreads stereotypes; on the other, to become a space where a culture built on equality takes shape.

This is precisely why it’s vital to continually ask ourselves: What are we telling society through our campaigns? What are we giving—or taking away from—an individual when we assign gender through visual codes or roles?

In today’s reality, it is not enough to simply execute a campaign at the highest technical level. A successful brand today is one that thinks through a lens of gender sensitivity—and transforms what was once seen as “just a joke” into something approached with responsibility and critical thought.

Decisions in our field are made by people, so before we work on a brief, slogan, or script, we must first consider: What impact will this communication have on the world we’ll live in tomorrow?