Tell us, Instagram, is this how you view women?
Yeah yeah, shoppable content is the future, the latest updates of Pinterest and Instagram confirmed that but, being “woke” and also having a “woke” marketing team is the present and the future. Haven’t you guys learnt anything?
So a couple of days ago, Instagram rolled out its shoppable content update to 8 more countries and we all got a new Story from the beloved app to inaugurate and pop the cork to.
Don’t know about you (I can only hope), but upon the first viewing, I cringed hard. Second viewing, and in my mind, thoughts like “Is this how they view women?” or “This is not what being inclusive/non-sexist looks like!” started exploding, while watching the byproduct of the “Get-in-loser-we’re-going-shopping” Mean Girls-inspired scene, go down.
If we dissect the Story, slide by slide, I’d say it’s clearly targeting plus-size women, but for the sake of many factors, let’s just say women. Not sure how the app’s analysts are doing over there, but my guess is they don’t really dig male fashion influencers, so they skipped the demographic that goes with them altogether. Why not.
What is so disturbing about this marketing move is that they stereotyped a powerful market that finds refuge in this very platform, in the most cliché and outdated manner. The female-identifying audience, is anything but this poorly designed bitmoji, and having merely a shopping-centered brain.
Put that on top of the anti-“Free the nipple” policy, and you got yourself an app straight outta the ‘50s.
In the not-so-distant past, we’ve seen many hard fails in advertising, but for some reason, Instagram’s not steps but… miles backwards, roots my fears about the company’s societal views and ethos, even deeper than they were two days ago.
What were your initial thoughts on the Story?
You might also like
More from Instagram
Reels: Instagram Brings Its TikTok Clone To More Countries
After launching exclusively in Brazil last year, Instagram is now bringing 'Reels', its TikTok clone, to France and Germany.
Instagram Gives More Businesses Access To Shopping
Instagram has announced it's giving more businesses access to Instagram Shopping with new commerce eligibility requirements.
New Instagram Advertisers Will Not Need A Facebook Account
Users who will advertise for the first time on Instagram will not be required to have an associated Facebook account …
Instagram: You Probably Need Permission Before Embedding Posts
You should probably start asking for permission before embedding other peoples' Instagram posts on your website. Here's why.
Instagram Starts Rolling Out IGTV Ads
Instagram has announced the rollout of ads on IGTV, with the advertising revenue being shared with creators.
How To Create Or Join Messenger Rooms On Instagram
As of last week, Messenger Rooms are also available on Instagram. Here is how to create or join a Messenger …
Instagram Introduces Guides, A New Way To Discover Recommendations
Instagram announced Guides, a new way to easily discover recommendations, tips, and other content from creators, public figures, organizations, and …
Instagram Now Lets You Delete Up To 25 Comments At Once
Instagram has announced three new features that expand on its efforts to fight online bullying: bulk comment management, pinned comments, …
Instagram Introduces A New Sticker In Support To Small Businesses
Instagram is introducing a new sticker for Stories to "Support Small Business" that lets you promote your favorite small business …
Instagram Makes Pinned Comments Available To Everyone