A short piece I wrote about how brands are pushing beyond gender binaries.

In 2020, the trend-setting generations are pioneering the idea of less rigid gender binaries reflected by ~60% of Gen Zers and 50% of Millennials agreeing that online profiles should include more options for gender identity than simply “man” and “woman”. Plugged-in brands are celebrating this trend towards further fluidity by rewriting traditional gender roles and championing the blurring of the once unbending binaries.

One such brand is Vogue. For the first time in history, a man was featured on the cover of the iconic magazine during its December 2020 issue. Even more groundbreaking, was that Gen Z’s beloved, Harry Styles, adorned the cover in a dress. This feature reflects a new era of constructing one’s identity and the burgeoning question of what the hell dictates what makes something feminine or masculine? Vogue responded to this increasingly popularized sentiment by featuring someone who has been a favorite of Gen Z’s (unsurprising in their propensity for individual expression) for playing with these archaically determined identities. Though highly conservative figures took to Twitter and Tik Tok to denounce the reformulation of traditional masculinity, the majority response was one of celebration. And how did Styles respond to the backlash? Perhaps directly aimed at Candace Owens, he sported another playful and gender-ambiguous outfit with a cheeky Instagram caption: “Bring back manly men”.

Maude, a sexual wellness company that recently hired Dakota Johnson (another Gen Z and Millenial favorite in her candidness and authenticity) as a Creative Director, is also attuned to the new wave of genderless marketing. Maude’s products are designed for cis-women, but their marketing is free of the typical markers of female sex toys: hot pink plastic, glitter, and copy filled with sexual winks and innuendo. Instead, they rely on a cool neutral color palette, architecturally inspired product design, and simple marketing copy. Instead of trying to ascertain how their consumers identify and matching that in their aesthetic and messaging, they’ve chosen minimalism. And in effect, left space for the consumer to identify with their products and with themselves in whatever way they choose.

In Conclusion:

Both brands are aimed towards woman-identifying audiences but respond to this trend in different ways. Vogue chose to react by staying somewhat within the confines of gender, playing with the ideas of masculinity and femininity. Other brands, like Maude, are responding by removing binaries from their marketing altogether, leaving room for the customer to construct their own identity.