I have never quite understood why making a pink & sparkly version of the same product broadens the market. Surely it just constructs a smaller subset of the full and general market, because of course the flip side of the pink commodity is that most men would much rather go without than buy any object explicitly marketed to women.

I think its a little from column A and column B. Most people are savvy enough to know when something is complete crap (iSnack 2.0 anyone?). The rest of the time its somewhere in between.

I just remembered that my hairdryer is a little, snub-nosed silver thing called the Sunbeam “Pistol Airo”. I think it’s meant to evoke some Wild West gunslinger vibe. It came in a box with “Pistol Airo… The Man’s Dryer” emblazoned on the side.

My aunt, who’d bought me the dryer for Christmas, was so embarrassed when I pointed this out – “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know it was for men! I thought it was a nice small one for travelling!”

you want to get rid of gendered or sexist advertising?
…get rid of advertising!

(which i fully support by the way, that wasn’t just an off the cuff statement)

I’m willing to bet my right nut that for all your blustering, you’ve got at least a hair dryer, one lipstick, and more than one pair of shoes - in other words - shit you don’t need.

The problem is now everyone, even those such as yourself who think they’re above marketing tricks, has shit they don’t need. So marketeers need to think of new ways to sell us new shit we don’t need, and they do it by making men think women like men to look pretty, and painting shit pink.

The reason they do this is because it works.

As for the raft of new products, Jim’s got it right. Most new products (or variations on existing ones) are launched after substantial market testing - focus groups, product trials, etc. Either there are lots of people who like this stuff, or lots of people lying to market researchers.

I received an email from Borders with Mothers Day gift suggestions: a schmaltzy Ronan Keating CD, the latest Jodi Piccoult, cookbooks, something called How to Love, and the DVD of Marley and Me. Women’s gifts, you see; there is no chance that a mother would possibly want to read philosophy, or economics or politics or even real literature.

And manscaping products are gendered the other way: tough products for blokes. Bold colours or black packaging, strong citrus scent. Often with a utilitarian hook: it’s not just a shampoo, it’s anti-dandruff. Which is practically medicinal and therefore nobody will think you are, you know. Effeminate.