International Women’s Day is on March 8th. It is a day to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about gender equality, and advocate for women’s rights. The very fact that there is such a day itself is the subject of many discourses. Also, in recent years, the occasion has become increasingly commercialised. Brands often engage in tokenism and create one or two ads or videos with superficial gestures of support. This Don’tStop Campaign Critique article aims to determine if the campaign really empowers women.
Redefining empowerment
Many brands seize Women’s Day as an opportunity to create campaigns that drive sales and promotional activities. Some of them leverage so-called feminist themes to enhance their brand image and drive sales. While some brands genuinely strive to support women’s empowerment and advance gender equality, others engage in performative activism. As a result, Women’s Day becomes a marketing gimmick without making meaningful contributions to women’s rights. This commercialisation of Women’s Day not only undermines its significance. On the contrary, it also perpetuates shallow narratives that trivialise the struggles of women.
The role of customers in changing perception about women
As customers or content consumers, it is crucial to scrutinise brands’ intentions. We must read between the lines and pause to think if the engagement is real. Advocating for genuine commitment to women’s empowerment beyond mere tokenism is what is needed to bring real change in content.
Shoppers Stop #Don’tStop campaign.
On 2024, International Women’s Day, Shoppers Stop, a prominent retail brand, launched its #Don’tStop campaign. The initiative purportedly aims to challenge societal pressures and biases that women encounter. However, its execution and messaging raise pertinent questions about its efficacy and relevance in addressing genuine women’s issues.
The storyline
The heart of the #Don’tStop campaign lies in encouraging women to embrace their choices unapologetically, defying societal norms and expectations. The accompanying video portrays a young woman navigating through criticisms like ‘Too Flashy,’ ‘Too Bold,’ and ‘Too Revealing,’ reflecting the pervasive judgment women face in various spheres of life. At its core, the campaign seeks to empower women to reject external judgments and live authentically.
Don’tStop Campaign Critique: Our viewpoint
A critical examination reveals specific inadequacies within the campaign’s approach. Foremost is the perpetuation of stereotypes concerning women and their interests. The emphasis on fashion and beauty, while valid in a retail context, inadvertently reinforces the stereotype that women’s empowerment is synonymous with shopping and appearance. By centring the narrative around fashion choices and societal judgments, the campaign risks shoving deeper issues that women encounter.
The option to shop or wear what one wants is just scratching the surface and is relevant to very few privileged women. With fashion being inclusive and tier-2-3 markets being critical, the brand could have addressed critical aspects like gender-based opportunities, unequal pay, and limited access to education and healthcare.
The limitation of the thought process
The choice of the hashtag #Don’tStop, while catchy, seems very far from communicating anything real in the creative. A more nuanced and inclusive rendition could have encapsulated the multifaceted nature of women’s suppression and resonated with a broader audience. Here, it is too simplified. The messaging focuses on the same idea that drives festive campaigns. Without the Women’s Day tag or the occasion, how is it different from a shop-till-you-drop kind of campaign?
The regressive bias against women
The campaign’s execution also raises concerns regarding its ability to address systemic issues faced by women.
It looks at women from a patriarchal lens. Just asking not to stop anywhere can be interpreted as urging women to embrace their individuality. However, it falls short of offering tangible solutions or advocating for structural changes that actually help a woman not to stop. Empowerment transcends individual choices; it requires dismantling systemic barriers and challenging patriarchal norms that perpetuate inequality and discrimination.
Are we talking only about certain types of women?
The campaign’s portrayal of empowerment through consumerism and individualism overlooks the intersectional nature of women’s experiences. Women from marginalised communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals and differently-abled women, face compounded forms of discrimination and oppression. The campaign’s failure to acknowledge these intersecting identities and experiences underscores its limited scope and effectiveness in fostering genuine empowerment.
Don’tStop Campaign Critique: The evaluation
The copy is cringy. “Hey, shining star! Don’t let anything dim your sparkle. #DontStop dazzling and being unapologetically you. Stand out and own your spotlight.” The language itself is problematic. A woman who is empowered does not need to be made to feel like a child going to a kindergarten. Such language, which makes women look like ornamental child-like creatures, needs to change. Also, in evaluating the #Don’tStop campaign, alternative approaches that resonate with women’s diverse experiences and aspirations must be considered. Rather than equating empowerment solely around consumer choices and appearance, campaigns should amplify marginalised voices, advocate for policy reforms, and promote inclusive representation across all spheres of society.
An ideal campaign: How should it look?
A more impactful campaign could have embraced intersectional feminism, highlighting the interconnected struggles faced by women of varying backgrounds. It could have focused on financial empowerment that enables women to exercise choices at all levels. By prioritising inclusivity and social justice, such a campaign could have catalysed meaningful change and fostered solidarity among women from diverse backgrounds.
The final thoughts
Shoppers Stop’s #Don’tStop campaign ostensibly seeks to empower women and challenge societal norms. But, its execution falls short of addressing the complex realities of women’s lives. By perpetuating stereotypes and prioritising consumerism over systemic change, the campaign misses an opportunity to advocate for genuine empowerment and social transformation. As we commemorate International Women’s Day, let us strive for campaigns that uplift and amplify the voices of all women, transcending superficial narratives and embracing the richness of women’s diverse experiences.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content, which we define broadly to include media, policies, law, and history—encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and gender-queer individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
