Breaking Gender Binaries

Advertisers have begun to acknowledge that an increasing number of consumers do not support the traditional gender binary, believing that gender is dynamic and lies on a continuum. Changing views, practices, and findings regarding gender are not well addressed in current advertising research due to a lack of knowledge regarding newer gender terminologies and a reliance on incompatible gender concepts and measures. This article discusses and develops conceptualizations and measures of gender for different types of future advertising research. Drawing on a review of the extant literature regarding portrayals of nonbinary people in advertising, gender-related ad processing, and the effects of these ads on consumers, this study proposes ideas and guidelines for future research that aim to deepen our understanding of gender in advertising and advance more inclusive advertising research that addresses gender developments in a changing world. These ideas and related recommendations build on conceptualizing and measuring gender and focus on analyzing nonbinary content portrayals, diverse consumers’ processing of ads, and the social and commercial effects of nonbinary portrayals.