What is Unstereotype? Explanation of its meaning and the Unstereotype Alliance

Have you ever heard of the term "unstereotype"?

"Unstereotype" is a coined word combining "stereotype," which means a fixed idea, and the prefix "un," which means negation. It is a term proposed by the Unstereotype Alliance, an organization led by the United Nations Women's Agency.

The Unstereotype Alliance isA global initiative to use the power of media and advertising to promote gender equality and eliminate harmful stereotypesWe are promoting this initiative, which we call "unstereotyping."

In the advertising industry, issues regarding gender bias and other stereotypes have been raised since the 2010s. This trend was solidified by the launch of the Unstereotype Alliance by the United Nations Women's Organization, UN Women, in 2017.

This article provides a clear explanation of the Unstereotype Alliance and the "unstereotype" advocated by the Unstereotype Alliance, including its meaning, background, and past efforts.

What is Unstereotyping?

"People with blood type A are meticulous and people with blood type O are careless," "Men are science majors and women are humanities majors," etc.A stereotype is a fixed idea or image that is prevalent among many people..

▼ What is a stereotype? A clear explanation of the difference between stereotypes and biases, as well as their advantages and disadvantages | XICA Co., Ltd.

Stereotypes bind people and companies with rigid ideas such as "women should be like this" or "office workers should be like this" and discourage innovation and free thinking.

In addition, in today's world where information is easily accessible, consumers are also paying more attention to the stance of companies. As seen in the case of a boycott caused by a TV commercial that clearly distinguished between men and women's roles, consumers will move away from brands and products that are based on stereotypes.

Stereotypes are also a major barrier to achieving gender equality.

like this"Unstereotyping" is an effort to remove harmful stereotypes from society through the media and advertising..

The origins of the term "unstereotype"

The creation of an advertisement starts with deciding on the target. The role of the advertisement is to set targets with a high likelihood of purchasing, such as "men in their 20s" or "housewives in their 40s," and to lead them to purchase by sending messages that appeal to their psychology and speak for their feelings and concerns.

but,If one step is taken wrong, this type of advertising could run the risk of solidifying gender and age roles and reinforcing stereotypes.

Changing your marketing and advertising processes can be difficult.

But,Shouldn't advertising and the media never forget their ethics and consideration for all people?With this issue in mind, the United Nations agency UN Women launched the Unstereotype Alliance to advocate for an "unstereotyped" approach to advertising.

The current state of gender equality in Japan

Now, let's take a look at how far gender equality has progressed in Japan.

Looking at the rankings of the World Economic Forum's "Gender Gap Index 2021," Japan is:156th out of 120 countriesHas become.

This is a ranking based on the extent to which gender equality has been achieved in each of the areas of "economy," "politics," "education," and "health," calculated numerically.

It became clear that in Japan, the gender gap is particularly large in the fields of "economy" and "politics." In fact, the income gap between men and women in Japan, as well as the small number of female managers and politicians, are more noticeable than in other Asian countries.

About the Unstereotype Alliance

The Unstereotype Alliance is an organization that aims to eliminate stereotypes through the power of media and advertising.

The Unstereotype Alliance was launched in 2017 at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France and is led by UN Women, the United Nations entity working for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

▼ UNSTEREOTYPE ALLIANCE

Due to the need to respond to the issues faced in each country, chapters have been established around the world, and currently there are chapters in Australia, Brazil, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

In May 2020, the Japan chapter was established with the Japan Advertisers Association (JAA) and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) as founding members. In fact, Japan is a country with a large advertising market, and its advertising market size is the third largest in the world after the United States and China(*5).

The Japanese branch also has the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as supporters, and currently (as of March 2022) has 3 private companies, mainly major domestic corporations, participating as members.

(* 1)https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000031.000007447.html

Purpose of establishing the Unstereotype Alliance

The Unstereotype Alliance isUse the power of media, including corporate advertising, to bring about positive change and eliminate harmful stereotypes from society.We are working towards the following goal.

Most recently, the fifth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is to achieve 2030."Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls"We aim to achieve this.

Unstereotype Alliance's efforts so far

Advertising has the power to stimulate people's thoughts and values ​​and motivate them to take action.The Unstereotype Alliance isBy making good use of these strengths, we can bring about positive change in people's stereotypes.Based on this guideline, we have undertaken various initiatives to break down stereotypes in advertising.

Here are some of the activities the Unstereotype Alliance has undertaken so far.

Unstereotype Alliance Activities

Publication of the report "Unstereotype: Beyond Gender. Hidden Stereotypes"

In order to explore the deeply ingrained stereotypes about men and women and the behavior that is based on them, we conducted a survey of 3 men and 1,000 women in three countries: South Africa, Brazil, and India, and published a survey report.

The survey results included information on gender, age, race, region, relationship status (single, married, divorced, whether or not they have a boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.), religion, and sexual orientation (romantic/sexual interest).The complex intertwining and interaction of various individual identities creates discrimination and oppression.(*2)We found that.

Keith Weed, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Unilever and Vice Chair of the Unstereotype Alliance, said:

“Focusing solely on gender does not paint an accurate picture of the diversity of the population. Understanding the intersectionality of gender with other factors such as race, sexuality, disability and age can help challenge multiple levels of discrimination and bring about positive social change in our communities(*3).”

▼ The report "Unstereotype: Beyond Gender. The Invisible Stereotypes"click hereから

(*2) This is called intersectionality.
(*3) Citation: https://japan.unwomen.org/ja/news-and-events/news/2018/8/unstereotype

Publication of "Beyond Gender 2"

A new study on the impact of intersectionality in advertising was conducted in April 2021 in four countries: Japan, Turkey, the UK, and the US. The findings were published as "Beyond Gender 4," with a Japanese version released in December of the same year.

Looking at the survey on Japan,Japanese advertising seems to tend to reflect Japanese culture, which values ​​harmony over individuality.

Especially when it comes to gender issues, there are few initiatives that challenge stereotypes, and instead tend to reinforce them.I found out.

▼ Beyond Gender 2 (Japanese version)click hereから

Screening of the short film "The Problem is not Seeing the Problem"

We act based on preconceived notions of gender, race, and age, and we often take in information without carefully examining it or thinking about it.It's important to be aware of hidden stereotypesI understood that.

So the Unstereotype Alliance"The problem is that we don't know it's a problem"I made a short film based on this concept.

In the film, actors are auditioned to play stereotypical roles such as the tired mother or the useless father. After playing familiar archetypes over and over, the actors' true feelings about the roles and the work they would like to create instead are revealed.

Aline Santos, global marketing director at Unilever, said, "40% of women can't see themselves in the ads they see," and went on to say that this isn't just a problem for women, it applies to everyone.

Advertising has the power to shape behavior in everyday life and, on a deeper level, create social and cultural norms.Also, because the message that advertising conveys is powerful,It should be used to convey a more positive message.says the Unstereotype Alliance.

▼ The short film "The Problem is not Seeing the Problem"click hereから

Developing the Unstereotype Metric (UM), a tool to measure progress towards eliminating stereotypes in advertising (a gender gap analysis tool)

In 2020, we took a more practical approach to eliminating stereotypes in advertising by developing tools to measure our progress."Unstereotype Metric" (UM) is a tool used to determine whether the gender portrayal in an advertisement is progressive or backward during the advertising process..

▼ Unstereotype Metric (UM) is a tool that measures whether an advertisement is advanced or backward.click hereから

The Unstereotype Alliance used the tool to analyze more than 56 ads across 1,100 countries, 29 brands and 3,500 categories.

The findings from the analysis are summarized in the following documents:It became clear that advanced advertising has stronger and more distinctive messages, which makes it easier for it to resonate with consumers and lead to increased purchasing intent.

▼ Unstereotype Metric 2020: Key Findingsclick hereから

Unstereotype Alliance Japan Chapter Activities

"NIKKEI UNSTEREOTYPE ACTION" newspaper advertisement

The Nikkei Women's Empowerment Project, sponsored by the Nikkei Shimbun, was launched in the spring of 2020. This project consists of three pillars: "Input" through study groups and seminars, "Output" through large-scale events, and "Action" in collaboration with the United Nations Women's Organisation (UN Women).

As part of this "Action" initiative, we placed a newspaper advertisement for "NIKKEI UNSTEREOTYPE ACTION" in the Nikkei newspaper.

The advertisement called for "Break stereotypes in the workplace," and invited comments of support and agreement on social media using the hashtag "Let's Increase Female Leaders."

They also ran newspaper advertisements urging people to "Break the stereotypes of child-rearing," supporting women who remain professionals even after becoming mothers.

▼ Click here to see the newspaper ad for "NIKKEI UNSTEREOTYPE ACTION"
Thoughts behind UNSTEREOTYPE ACTION | Newspaper Advertisement | Nikkei Marketing Portal 
Let's make Lucy's dream come true. #Let's increase the number of female leaders: Nikkei xwoman 
Breaking the stereotypes of child rearing #Staying professional even after becoming a mother: Nikkei xwoman 

Submitted an entry to the "Nikkei Women's Empowerment Advertising Awards"

Also as part of "Action," the Nikkei Shimbun held an awards ceremony to recognize companies that create advertisements that break stereotypes and contribute to gender equality and women's empowerment.

At the first event, Unicharm's "#NoBagForMe PROJECT 1-2019" won the UNSTEREOTYPE Advertising Award, and Cybozu's "Don't give up, Japan" won the Nikkei Special Award.

▼ Click here to see the winning advertisement for the 1st Nikkei Women's Empowerment Advertising Award
Nikkei Women's Empowerment Advertising Awards Winners Decided: Nikkei xwoman 

At the second event, the UNSTEREOTYPE Advertising Award went to Tokai Television Broadcasting's "Living in a Country with Gender Inequality," while the UNSTEREOTYPE Advertising Award Jury Special Award went to Ajinomoto Frozen Foods' "The Effortless Frozen Gyoza Controversy" and the Nikkei Special Award went to Tsumura's "#OneMoreChoice Project."

▼ Click here to see the winning advertisement for the 2st Nikkei Women's Empowerment Advertising Award
Introducing the winners and outstanding works of the 2nd "Women Empowerment Advertising Awards": Nikkei xwoman 

Future activities of the Unstereotype Alliance

Hosting the Summit

The Unstereotype Alliance regularly holds summits to discuss the mindset and tools needed in the advertising industry.

In May 2021, a Global Member Summit was held online, where Unstereotype Alliance supporting companies from around the world discussed how they can create even more positive advertising.

Supporting companies from Japan, which are members of the Unstereotype Alliance Japan branch, also participated and reported on efforts in Japan at the meeting, titled "Actions and Commitments to Eliminate Stereotypes."

▼ Unstereotype Alliance Global Member Summit | UN Women – Japan Office

Release of survey results and advertising measurement tools

The Unstereotype Alliance conducts ongoing research and measurement of gender attitudes around the world and how men and women are portrayed in advertising.

At the same time, we publish the results of our survey and the Unstereo Alliance's views based on them, as well as open access tools for measuring advertising, in order to provide information for even more effective advertising production.

▼ Unstereotype Metric: Key Findings for 2021 

International Women's Day Celebration

Every year on International Women's Day (IWD) on March 3th, we deliver messages of encouragement to working women based on the official theme.

The official theme for International Women's Day 2022 is "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow." We are celebrating International Women's Day with messages from working women involved in the Unstereotype Alliance.

Also, on that day, the Nikkei newspaper carried an advertisement in its morning edition featuring messages from the heads of the 17 Unstereotype Alliance member companies.

Joining the Unstereotype Alliance

Benefits of joining the Unstereotype Alliance

By joining the Unstereotype Alliance, you become part of a global effort led by UN agencies to work towards gender equality and gain access to frameworks, tools and research to eliminate stereotypes in advertising.

▼ 6 Membership Benefits

• Participating in the UA Annual Summit at the United Nations Headquarters
• Participation in the Cannes Advertising Festival
• Participating in an event hosted by UN Women
• Providing playbooks and frameworks
• Providing research and tools
• Company name and logo on the site

How to join the Unstereotype Alliance

You can apply to join the Unstereotype Alliance by following the steps below.

① Companies will inform the UN Women Japan office of their intention to participate by email.
② UN Women, the secretariat of the Unstereotype Alliance, will conduct a due diligence review of the applying companies.
③ Companies that pass the screening process sign a letter of consent and membership terms and conditions.
④ Applicant companies will pay an annual fee of 60 yen to UN Women.

▼ UN Woman Japan Office Inquiry Desk

About XICA's membership

XICA joined the Unstereotype Alliance Japan branch in December 2021.First participation by a Japanese advertising agency.

▼ XICA joins the Japanese branch of the UN Women-led Unstereotype Alliance | XICA Co., Ltd.

To date, using its unique data science technology, XICA has provided over 200 companies with a means to fairly and quantitatively evaluate their advertising, as well as a highly transparent advertising trading system.

We want to contribute to the development of the industry and society by visualizing the effects of unstereotypical advertising using XICA's data science technology and proving its importance.I believe.

▼ Saikya, as a member company of the "Unstereotype Alliance" led by the United Nations Women's Agency, pays a courtesy visit to Minister of State for Special Missions of the Cabinet Office Seiko Noda | Saikya Co., Ltd. 

What is necessary to have an unstereotypical mindset?

The Unstereotype Alliance proposes the "3Ps" as a three-pronged framework for creating unstereotyped advertising.

The 3Ps are the following three perspectives:

1. Presence: Who is featured in the ad?

Who is the central character of the story?
Is there a culturally and ethnically diverse representation, taking into account gender, age, race, socio-economic status, body size, sexual orientation, religion, ability, etc.?
Are the characters portrayed realistically?

② Perspective: Who is constructing the story?

-Does it represent male and female perspectives equally?
- Does it depict the characters' personal experiences and perspectives?
Is there diversity among the creators?
• Does the work challenge outdated ways of thinking about people/communities/relationships/norms?

3) Personality: Do the characters have depth?

- Does it portray women, men, children and adults from multiple perspectives?
-Are they portrayed as beings with agency and individual personalities?
- Is beauty considered in terms of a person's character and personality, not just appearance and attractiveness?
-Are beauty stereotypes taken into consideration?

In order to create positive advertisements that are not bound by stereotypes, it is a good idea to keep these three frameworks in mind. This 3Ps framework has been adopted as the judging criteria for the Nikkei Women's Empowerment Advertising Awards, and its effectiveness has also been proven in the Unstereotype Metric 3 survey conducted by the Unstereotype Alliance.