Adpology: A Satirical Spot Exposes Advertising's Sexist Clichés

On International Women's Day 2018, a British advertisement titled 'An Adpology' (a portmanteau of advertising and apology) was released online, directed by Tiny Bullet and produced by Thomas Thomas Films. The one-minute spot humorously critiques persistent gender stereotypes in advertising, such as the portrayal of women as perpetually energetic during menstruation, flawlessly groomed, or unrealistically thin. It apologizes to women over 50 for being depicted as caricatures of flirtatious thirty-somethings, and to all women for never being shown using power tools or having the last word. The ad highlights how advertising amplifies existing societal norms and faces a choice between reinforcing old clichés or embracing new, authentic narratives. The article by Helga Marsala on Artribune contextualizes the spot within a history of sexist imagery, from fascist propaganda to 1950s ads featuring submissive housewives, and notes that while overt stereotypes have faded, subtle ones persist. The piece also references a 1970s slogan 'Né strega né madonna' (Neither witch nor madonna) as an earlier critique of polarized female archetypes.