A ban on adverts featuring "harmful gender stereotypes" or those which are likely to cause "serious or widespread offence" has come into force. The ban covers scenarios such as a man with his feet up while a woman cleans, or a woman failing to park a car. The UK's advertising watchdog introduced the ban because it found some portrayals could play a part in "limiting people's potential". The ASA said the review had found evidence suggesting that harmful stereotypes could "restrict the choices, aspirations and opportunities of children, young people and adults and these stereotypes can be reinforced by some advertising, which plays a part in unequal gender outcomes". As part of its review, the ASA brought together members of the public and showed them various adverts to gauge how they felt about how men and women were depicted. One of them was a 2017 television advert for Aptamil baby milk formula, which showed a baby girl growing up to be a ballerina and baby boys engineers and mountain climbers. Should advertisers be more considerate about how they stereotype roles in their adverts?
