Is the sign industry guilty of sexism?
The Uber girls: simply mentioning the words at last week’s Sign and Digital UK and you immediately had a reaction.
Wednesday, 07 May 2014 13:09 GMT
Compromised: editor Brendan Perring says he was pressed-ganged into having his photo taken with the Uber girls
From men of a certain age the very words brought a smile to their faces, while for others there were expressions of disapproval or of exasperation. Why was the subject of stand girls so contentious?
Cornish sign-maker Louise Feeley of 20/20 spoke for many. She says: “In all honesty I am not bothered by the exhibitors using girls to promote their business. I do feel it’s a bit dated and quite tacky; I don't think that because I'm female, I think that because I have a good sense of what promotions works for companies.
I think it creates a ‘laddish’ climate, which shouldn’t really exist anymore, considering the amount of women that actually attended the event”
“Our experience at the sign show was good and we obtained some quality information from potential suppliers. However I felt as a female we were approached differently by some exhibitors and their perceptions soon changed when it was realised that I have a good knowledge of the products and services I was interested in.
“Overall I can’t say if this is going to change, but I would like to think that a more open-minded approach is taken at future events.”
Words echoed by our own deputy editor Harriet Gordon. She says: “I don’t have a problem with companies hiring promotional girls dressed in skimpy outfits, but I don’t think it’s a particularly good idea. It does seem outdated, and makes the stands in question look tacky and cheap. The bigger issue, however, is how it affects the wider environment of the show.
“I think it creates a ‘laddish’ climate, which shouldn’t really exist anymore, considering the amount of women that actually attended the event.”
The ‘laddish’ atmosphere is something that several people commentated on at the show. It is an atmosphere that some women say legitimatises lewd remarks made in public and encourages a locker room mentality amongst others, behaviour and attitudes that are inappropriate considering it is a trade show in the 21st century and not the 1970s.
However, many men see stand girls as just a bit of fun, although one sign-maker wondered what they’d think if there were stand boys revealing their pecs and flexing their guns in the glorification of vinyl, wide-format, and soft signage.
One media commentator, renowned for his mohawk hair-style, even went as far as to suggest setting up a sign industry women’s group to combat sexism in the business and ban suggestively dressed women from promoting stands at exhibitions.
So is the industry unnecessarily sexist? Beautiful women are one of the favoured images for wide-format print samples and some businesses openly use sexualised female images to promote themselves. A quick glance around at the world in general is informative. From Susanna Reid’s legs on the newly relaunched ITV breakfast show to the budget airline Ryanair’s Red Hot Fares posters featuring bikini clad girls, we are surrounded by images that don’t relate to the products or services on offer. Or is it part of Western culture to feature young women as part of the imagery of advertising and marketing—a tradition going back decades?
What do you think? Were you offended or irritated by the stand girls? Or do pretty girls help to make the world go round?
Your views please to online_ed@signlink.co.uk
