International Women’s Day: 5 Examples Of How Brands Get This Day Wrong
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Many brands fail to strike the right chord in their social media campaigns, often resorting to token gestures rather than meaningful change. Such surface-level efforts risk diminishing the essence of International Women’s Day.
A common misstep includes rebranding logos or launching limited-edition products. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated on March 8, is a global occasion dedicated to recognising the social, economic, cultural and political contributions of women. Although officially recognised by the United Nations in 1977, its roots trace back to early 20th-century labour movements and calls for gender equality. On this day, women around the world rally for key issues such as fair wages, reproductive rights, equal opportunities in education, and leadership and justice. However, many brands fail to strike the right chord in their social media campaigns, often resorting to token gestures rather than meaningful change. Such surface-level efforts risk diminishing the essence of IWD and exposing a lack of real commitment to gender equality.
A common misstep includes rebranding logos or launching limited-edition products while neglecting to implement policies that genuinely uplift women within their organisations. Here are a few examples of when brands got Women’s Day all wrong.
Superficial Symbolism
Some brands attempt to demonstrate solidarity by making temporary, surface-level changes. For instance, McDonald’s once inverted its iconic ‘M’ to a ‘W’ to symbolise women, a move that was met with criticism for its lack of substantive support for women’s causes. Similarly, Shell rebranded a single gas station to ‘She’ll’ for one day, which was ridiculed on social media for its performative nature.
Misguided Promotions
Some brands offer discounts or limited-edition products targeting women on IWD, which can come across as tone-deaf. For instance, Flipkart, an Indian e-commerce company, faced backlash for promoting kitchen appliances at discounted rates to celebrate women, reinforcing outdated stereotypes.
Ignoring Internal Practices
Brands that publicly support IWD without reflecting on their internal policies risk being labelled hypocritical. A Twitter bot, in 2021, exposed companies that tweeted support for IWD while having significant gender pay gaps, highlighting the disparity between their public messages and internal practices.
Vague Messaging
Many companies flood social media with generic messages praising women as “superheroes” without addressing specific issues or committing to actionable change. For example, Lamborghini released content celebrating women without outlining any concrete initiatives to support gender equality.
Not Being Inclusive
Victoria’s Secret launched a campaign featuring the slogan “The Perfect Body,” showcasing models with similar body types. The campaign was accused of promoting unrealistic beauty standards and body shaming, prompting petitions and widespread criticism. The company eventually altered the campaign’s tagline in response to the backlash.
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