TY  - JOUR
T1  - Femvertising of Sportswear Brands: Semiotic Analysis of YouTube Campaigns
TT  - Femvertising des Marques de Vêtements de Sport : Analyse Sémiotique des Campagnes YouTube
AU  - Kuter, Deniz
PY  - 2024
DA  - December
Y2  - 2024
DO  - 10.16878/gsuilet.1481994
JF  - Galatasaray Üniversitesi İletişim Dergisi
PB  - Galatasaray University
WT  - DergiPark
SN  - 1305-2411
SP  - 104
EP  - 128
IS  - 41
LA  - en
AB  - Advertising that emphasizes female empowerment and challenges gender stereotypes is coined femvertising and is becoming more commonly employed. However, many femvertising campaigns are being criticized as “femwashing,” as in they are not authentic, and brands are merely capitalizing on this trend to promote their products. Therefore, not every advertisement portraying female empowerment themes can be considered femvertising. From an authenticity perspective, this research aims to evaluate the femvertising campaigns of major sportswear brands based on transparency, consistency, diversity, respect, and challenging stereotypes. Additionally, this research aims to identify common themes and differences amongst these advertisements. For the purposes of this research, a semiotic analysis is conducted on three advertising campaigns of three major brands, Nike, Adidas, and Puma, that are published on their global YouTube pages, dissecting the visual and textual elements to reveal how brands communicate their commitment to empowering women through sports. The study identifies three main themes across the campaigns: challenging gender norms by showcasing diverse representations of women, the prevalence of systematic barriers in sports and how women are determined to overcome them, and how the brands’ values are aligned with this social issue. The findings highlight the importance of authentic femvertising that aligns with brands’ corporate social responsibility goals, providing insights for marketers aiming to ethically leverage gender-focused advertising strategies.
KW  - Femvertising
KW  - semiotics
KW  - sportswear brands
KW  - authenticity
KW  - gender equality
N2  - Le femvertising, qui met l'accent sur l'autonomisation des femmes et remet en question les stéréotypes de genre, est de plus en plus utilisé. Cependant, de nombreuses campagnes sont critiquées comme étant du « femwashing », car elles ne sont pas authentiques et les marques profitent simplement de cette tendance pour promouvoir leurs produits. Dans une perspective d'authenticité, cette recherche vise à évaluer les campagnes de femvertising de grandes marques de vêtements de sport et à identifier les thèmes communs et les différences. Une analyse sémiotique est réalisée sur trois campagnes YouTube de trois grandes marques : Nike, Adidas et Puma. Trois thèmes principaux émergent : la remise en question des normes de genre en présentant des représentations diversifiées de femmes; la prévalence des barrières systématiques dans le sport et la détermination des femmes à les surmonter; et l'alignement des valeurs des marques avec cette question sociale. Les résultats soulignent l'importance du femvertising authentique qui s'aligne avec les objectifs de responsabilité sociale des entreprises des marques, fournissant des insights pour que les marketeurs exploitent éthiquement les stratégies de publicité axées sur le genre.
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UR  - https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.1481994
L1  - https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/3921222
ER  -