"If you walked into any predominantly female class on Oakland’s campus, right now at some point you’d no doubt hear that all too familiar clank of someone’s metal water bottle being knocked on the floor. Like everyone else, you’ll instinctively turn to identify the culprit, who quickly picks it up and apologizes. But this scene isn't unique to the college campus. Preschoolers are walking around with Yeti’s. Second graders have them on their Birthday wish list. But why? And why is it almost always women, and girls? If you ask me? Predatory marketing is based on misogyny.
Historically, products marketed towards women have been health, beauty, home, and childcare aids. These advertisements indirectly (and frequently directly!) told women, they were too dirty, working too hard, too hairy, too smelly…too flawed, too, god forbid, human. These products and their subsequent advertising preyed on the fundamental “truth” that is interwoven into all patriarchal structures: women aren’t enough as they are. Want an example? Old Listerine ads like this, suggested that the reason a woman was undesirable to her husband was because she had bad breath.
This entire campaign is dependent on women having to be acceptable to men. She should buy Listerine not because she doesn’t want bad breath, not because her dentist is concerned, but because she’s not palatable to men if she doesn’t meet their fantastical ideal of a woman.
Now, you may be thinking but we don’t advertise like that anymore. But the thing is we do, we just don’t notice it. Take this ad for Olay Super Serum. What is it suggesting? Your face is too dull, too wrinkly, too bumpy. Is there something wrong with bumpy skin? With not having glowing skin? Is there a health concern? Does it mean you’re not beautiful? No. But according to patriarchal standards, it does make you less desirable to men, so it’s expected that you take issue with it. Do you have a problem with your skin or has society told you to have a problem with it?
The idea of needing the latest water bottle follows this same pattern, and it happened because of a unique event cycle. Because of issues with one-use water bottles, due to growing sustainability concerns in the late 2010s, people switched to reusable ones. But people using that one free water bottle they got at their work retreat 4 years ago doesn’t make anyone money. So, in a society dependent on capitalistic feats, someone found a way to profit. Statistically, women are more likely to about the environment than men. (As seen in this article published by Yale.) and also are more likely to take care of their health. (As seen in this article published by the CDC.) i.e., women drink water but don’t want to hurt the planet while doing so. Knowing this and wanting to take advantage of the ingrained misogyny in our society, the idea of a must-have water bottle was born. Men aren’t expected to keep up with trends like women are, and advertisers not only know this, but they also take advantage of this. First, it was the Hydroflask. Then the Yeti. Then the Stanley. Now it's Owala.
There are so many problems with this. First of all, any reusable water bottle is good for the planet. Buying new ones to keep up with trends defeats the sustainability goal, which is why most people bought into it, in the first place. Second, every time you buy a new water bottle you don't need because it's trendy, you've fallen for their marketing. (Which a brief scroll on their TikTok page will tell you, that their advertising models are predominantly women, and their comment section? Mostly women.) You don’t need the latest water bottle. If you want it or need a water bottle, awesome! Get it. But you don’t need the bright pink Stanley, just because it’s on your For You Page.
As I sit here writing this, with an Owala next to me, and a Stanley next to my sink, I can’t help but question, why do I have this? Is whatever the newest water bottle is really necessary? Would I have bought it if it wasn’t trending? Did I need it? The answer, overwhelmingly, is no."
Sources:
Listerine Advertisement: https://youtu.be/47OwJtd2Djw?si=K2ZktS8TRzzXMA2s
Olay Super Serum Advertisement, 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twNREso5zq8
Ballew, Matthew, et. al, Gender Differences in Public Understanding of Climate Change, 2018: https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/gender-differences-in-public-understanding-of-climate-change/
New Study Profile Women’s Use of Healthcare, 2001:
Owala - TikTok Page:
-Elizabeth Rosser
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