It is 2023 and we are STILL calling out sexist advertising!

McDonald’s recently put out an advertisement in India promoting their “McVeggie meals” priced at Rs.179 (around $2). The advertisement has the tagline, “Date sort of…@179.” The advert shows an interaction between a cashier and a customer. The customer flirts with the cashier and how the interaction plays out in the advertisement alludes to the fact that you can find love at McDonald’s, not just burgers. (Side note: I did not specify the gender in the previous sentence but did you make any assumptions while reading it?) Warding off uninvited romantic advances should not be a normalized part of a customer service job. And, a company as big as McDonald’s should know and do better.?

Reports have shown that a considerable number of women working service jobs in restaurants have faced sexual harassment in the workplace. Women are expected to “smile and serve” and maintain their calm when unwanted interactions occur in the workplace. This is a serious problem and it makes you wonder how such an ad was approved in the first place? Who thought that it was okay to post an advert that enables creating an unsafe work environment for the women working at their chain??

Let us look at the advertising agency and who dominates it. Women are powerful consumers and make about 85% of purchasing decisions but they are terribly underrepresented when it comes to creative jobs in the industry. A majority of women in the industry mention that they have never worked with a creative director or executive director who is a woman. Women need role models in the industry to look up to and an environment that fosters and supports their growth. We need a diversity of voices behind the advertisements that are being created. The lack of that diversity will lead to incorrect, insensitive and downright abysmal portrayals. And, diversity is also a beautiful thing. We all benefit from listening to different voices that emanate from varied backgrounds and lived experiences.?

This isn’t a problem that is limited to advertising. Be it in advertising, technology or any other industry, diversity is always a good thing and we must actively look to promote it. But how do we do that? Creating more inclusive workplace policies, supporting; mentoring and sponsoring underrepresented groups of people and checking for unconscious/conscious biases are some ways in which we can change work culture to be more inclusive and diverse.?

The advertisement that McDonald’s put out is not just about that one minute or one bad decision. It indicates a deeper structural problem that needs to be addressed and fixed.?