Analyzing Gender Stereotypes, and Empowerment in The Always Campaign

Discourse is a term in linguistics that means “a connected series of utterances; a text or conversation” (Oxford). But, this simple definition doesn’t fully capture what discourse really is. Discourse is a complex idea that lets us talk about how language is used and how its meaning is created within a society. By looking at specific discursive approaches, I'm going to analyze the Always #LikeAGirl campaign from 2014. I'll show how this ad uses the discourse around gender stereotypes to encourage women to reclaim the phrase “like a girl,” turning it from an insult into something positive and inspiring. I’ll use ideas like subject positioning, reliance on stereotypes, and synthetic personalization to show how the ad deals with gender stereotyping and its impact on young girls. The discourse around “like a girl” holds back women in society and perpetuates harmful stereotypes.

Discourse refers to the rules and practices society creates that give words and statements their meaning. It’s made up of social relations, meaning if those relations were different or didn’t exist, the discourse would change or disappear. So, discourse doesn’t just create one meaning; it’s an ongoing process that shapes meaning over time. The language choices an author makes can reveal the socially constructed realities in a discourse and show how discourses work at a specific moment in history. This lets us see the social effects of the discourse a reader is pushed towards in a text and how these techniques change the text’s function. Through this, we can study how these techniques play a big role in the reader's subject positioning by looking at a specific text.

“An ad is never the program they are watching, never the letter they are waiting for, never the part of the newspaper they are reading” (Cook, 1992:13). As Freita’s text says, ads carry “a status as intruders." The first challenge for an ad is getting someone to actually want to see it. So, ads are usually short and easy to understand at first glance. I’m going to analyze the #LikeAGirl campaign by Always, a feminine care brand. I first saw this ad on YouTube, and it caught my attention because I didn’t know what it was advertising. Instead of skipping it, I watched the whole thing. The ad focuses on the phrase “like a girl.” In the ad, filmmaker Lauren Greenfield asks teens and adults to do activities “like a girl,” like “throw like a girl” and “run like a girl.” They do these activities weakly, with flailing arms and legs. Then, a group of young girls are asked to do the same, and they do it fiercely, trying their best. The ad shows how people develop a negative view of “like a girl” as they grow older.

Always, which specializes in menstrual products marketed towards women, targets young girls and women. Always is owned by Procter and Gamble, an American multinational consumer goods corporation. This ad contrasts with their previous ads and moves away from simple product advertisements. It shows the company cares about its consumers, society, and women, not just sales. While the ad’s purpose seems positive, it's important to remember it’s still an ad from Always, aiming to boost sales. Many people feel skeptical about ads that seem socially conscious (Freita’s). Ads always have an ulterior motive of boosting sales, and consumers are aware of that. However, this ad overcame skepticism and was a huge success in sales and social terms, raising awareness and creating a new dialogue about gender stereotypes. The global response was positive, though some men criticized it. But, as a feminine care brand, Always targets women, not men.

The ad heavily relies on gender stereotypes and social constructs about boys and girls. Women have faced discrimination throughout history and are still considered inferior to men in many ways. Young girls are vulnerable, especially during puberty, and being exposed to stereotypes and derogatory phrases can do significant damage. Being taught that acting like a girl is bad when you’re a girl is troubling. This ongoing issue in society created a need for a video like this, leading Always to broadcast it. Always challenges these structures by showing how women are held back by social constructs and demonstrating their capabilities. It aims to make the audience realize how society’s discourse on gender can negatively impact their self-esteem or their sisters', mothers', or friends'. It shows that women can choose to change their outlook and rise above it.

I’ll use Fairclough’s approach to CDA from Locke’s Critical Discourse Analysis. Fairclough believes no language is neutral and always contains a controlling viewpoint. His research shows how texts, especially in media and ads, can be persuasive as they rely on stereotypes—socially accepted beliefs or ideas considered normal—that make them effective.

Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework includes discourse as text, practice, and sociocultural practice. One tool I’ll use to analyze the text is synthetic personalization (Fairclough). Synthetic personalization addresses the audience as individuals to create a fake relationship. One common way to do this is using inclusive language, like personal pronouns such as “you.” Using second-person and possessive pronouns like “you” and “your” addresses the audience directly. When people are addressed individually, they feel more valued. The ad’s structure itself is another technique (I need to explore this more). The ad starts with older people asked to do something “like a girl,” then moves to younger girls. This structure shows the stark difference in the phrase’s meaning to different age groups, highlighting that young girls aren’t born biased but are taught this negative bias. This places importance on the ad, suggesting that sending this message to young girls will boost their confidence from a younger age, setting them up for success as adults.

Another way the ad engages the audience is by finding common ground. It uses “average” or “real” people, like the target audience. The subjects’ answers seem unscripted, conversational, and natural, giving the ad authenticity and credibility, which ads usually lack. The video is structured strategically—showing the set from the beginning, putting the audience behind the scenes for a more transparent message. The format is a simple Q&A between the director and the individuals, who represent the audience. Some individuals state their names and ages, like “My name is Dakota and I'm ten years old.” Whether this info is real or not, it creates a personal connection with the audience. The format and personal responses make the video candid and honest, building trust between the company and future consumers. This trust makes the company’s menstrual products more appealing to the audience.

The ad also uses its platform effectively. It was posted on YouTube and played at the Super Bowl. Posting on a popular, free platform like YouTube ensures exposure to a wide array of viewers, as online videos can reach larger audiences. It’s significant that Always chose a video ad over a print ad. Video ads engage more with visuals and audio, appealing to the audience. The first half of the video has no background music, but as it switches to a more empowering moment, music kicks in. While young girls are likely the target audience, airing the ad at the Super Bowl, a male-dominated event, shows it also targets men. This could build trust in the company’s intentions, as it seems to focus on delivering the social message to everyone, not just potential customers. It helps boys and men realize how a seemingly funny insult can affect a girl’s confidence and her place in society. Always understands that getting everyone, males and females alike, to recognize the issue is the first step to fixing it as a society.

A significant aspect to unpack is the hashtag slogan #LikeAGirl. If you’re not familiar with the discourse around these three words, they might not mean much. This shows how important social discourse is in understanding language. The words themselves aren’t negative, but at some point, “like a girl” came to mean doing something badly or not as well as a boy. In our society, “like a girl” is still associated with weakness. Society has given the phrase a negative connotation, positioning young girls and women to see it as negative and be ashamed.

Questions are another technique used in ads like this one. For example, “What does it mean to you to do things #LikeAGirl?” This question addresses the audience as individuals. Questions in ads create synthetic personalization by simulating informal conversation. By asking questions instead of just conveying information, the ad engages the audience. The ad also appeals to pathos, playing on the audience’s emotions. It starts lighthearted but becomes emotional as older women realize how society’s ideas have held them back. The ad aims to make the audience realize something about themselves and society, showing the negative association people develop with “like a girl” as they grow older. The structure and order of the questions play a significant role in delivering the company’s message. At the beginning, subjects are asked, “What does it mean to you to do something ‘like a girl’?” Later, they’re asked, “When did doing something ‘like a girl’ become an insult?” This implies it is an insult. These implications made by the ad’s structure play a role in how the audience views and understands it.

The ad’s goal was to get the audience to change the negative association with “like a girl” and let women reclaim the phrase, turning it into something positive and inspiring. The ad works to create a new definition of “like a girl.” It relies on different discourses to subvert the phrase from its expected meaning. At the end of the video, one individual says, “Why can’t run like a girl also mean to win the race?” The change in attitudes from the beginning to the end of the video shows how the ad disconnects the phrase from negativity and connects it to positivity and confidence in young girls. The video ends with “Rewrite the rules,” stating the company’s goal and setting one for the audience. The ad pushes to create a new discourse in society where feminism and women’s empowerment are advocated.

This ad heavily relies on the existing discourse around gender stereotypes about boys and girls. The discourse depends on past ideas about women’s inferiority to men and the female sex’s inferiority to the male sex. Without the existing stereotype and surrounding discourse, the conversation about “#LikeAGirl” or this ad wouldn’t be possible. There wouldn’t be a need for this ad if the discourse around gender stereotypes didn’t exist. This shows how discourse allows us to talk about language in use and how it creates meaning within society.

In conclusion, the Always #LikeAGirl campaign effectively uses the discourse around gender stereotypes to challenge societal norms and empower women. Through approaches like subject positioning, reliance on stereotypes, and synthetic personalization, the campaign aims to turn "like a girl" from an insult into a positive statement. By analyzing the ad’s language choices, strategies, and social impact, we gain insights into the broader discourse on gender roles and stereotypes. The campaign is a strong example of how advertising can shape cultural narratives and foster positive social change.