SIGNATURE WORK
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2023

The rise of social media platforms has led to a shift in advertising strategies, with more brands opting for social media advertising over traditional channels. Social media advertising is viewed as a more effective way to reach a diverse audience at a lower cost. However, it has also brought attention to gender issues in advertising. The portrayal of women in advertising has been criticized for perpetuating traditional gender stereotypes and reinforcing harmful gender norms.
This study focuses on the representation of gender in fashion brand advertising on two social media platforms, Instagram (US) and Xiaohongshu (China), through a thematic analysis of 635 advertised images from six top fashion and luxury brands. The research finds that there have been improvements in female representation, with more diverse portrayals of women in leadership roles. However, objectification of women still persists in both brand-concept ads on Instagram and product ads on Xiaohongshu. The study also highlights notable differences in the portrayal of women in fashion brand advertising on social media in China and the US, with Instagram ads featuring more diversity in ethnicity, body type, dress, and makeup.