Below are screenshots of the Degree Men, Degree Women, and Degree Girl websites.
Degree genders their deodorant with color (turquoise and lavender versus blue and yellow), pattern (bold lines versus curving spirals), language (women are “emotional” and men “take risks”). Really, Degree? We’re still going there?
Even the scents are gendered and, further, they reveal how we place men and women in a hierarchy (e.g., “Extreme Blast” versus “Summer Rain”). Men even get a scent called “Power.”
Degree also markets their product differently towards adult and t(w)een girls. Women are “emotional,” girls are “OMG!” let’s dance!!!
OMG! Let’s take a look!
“DEGREE MEN. PROTECTS MEN WHO TAKE RISKS.”
“Absolute Protection.”
“Responds to increases in adrenaline.”
“Proven at the hottest temperature on earth.”
“Unbeaten in competitive dryness testing.”
Scents include “Cool Rush,” “Extreme Blast,” “Arctic Edge,” “Intense Sport,” “Clean Reaction,” and “Power.”
“DEGREE WOMEN. DARE TO FEEL.”
“Emotional sweat can cause body odor more than perspiration from physical activity… you need extra odor protection to kick in when you’re stressed or emotional.”
Scents include “Classic Romance,” “Spring Fusion,” and “Fresh Oxygen,” “Pure Satin,” “Delicious Bliss,” and “Sexy Intrigue.”
“DEGREE GIRL. PROTECTION FOR EVERY OMG! MOMENT.”
“Crazy, exciting or embarrassing, OMG! moments happen to everyone.”
“Sign up 4 Cool Stuff! OMG SIGN UP.”
Scents include “Fun Spirit,” “Tropical Power,” and “Just Dance.” See also “Pink Crush.”
Also in dumb gendered marketing: Redken for men, make up for men, Frito Lay targets the ladies, nature versus the beast, it may be pink, but it’s not girly, gendered vitamins, and RISK (for men only).
Also in marketing towards tweens: “My Life” involves getting a boyfriend, teenager+colonialism = weird, and Nair for tweens.
Comments 21
Sabriel — March 23, 2009
wow.
Those websites are so stereotypical that they seem like satire.
Anonymous — March 23, 2009
If it sells more than 'non-dumb' marketing would, is it still dumb? Patronising maybe, but dumb?
North — March 23, 2009
Notice also that the 'voice' in each website is very different. Degree Men is impersonal: "responds to increased adrenaline," etc. Degree Women uses the 1st person plural in a ham-fisted attempt to bond with the reader ("we can start sweating..."). Degree Girl echoes the tone of every stupid pamphlet for teen-agers: pretending to be addressing the teen-ager as an equal by using "OMG," but actually using a very instructional tone.
Rachel — March 23, 2009
Ugh. Just ugh. I remember when Degree deodorant first came out. It was INTENTIONALLY non-gendered. Men and women (and boys and girls, it would seem) could buy the same package, same scents. This is just awful.
The more I see of mass culture, it seems we're moving backwards instead of forwards.
Oh, and "Men," "Women," and "Girls"? Why not a product for boys, who are just as stinky as girls. Do the Degree people feel they've already lost this market to Axe?
AL — March 23, 2009
dear advertisers,
this isn't the 1950s.
Will — March 23, 2009
Not directly related (except through the links at the end of the article), but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Combos is having a "win the ultimate MAN ZONE" contest. I guess you win tools, or a BBQ grill, or some other thing that women are categorically excluded from.
All it did for me was make me not want to buy them anymore.
alby — March 23, 2009
"dear advertisers,
this isn’t the 1950s."
May I add?
KTHXBAI.
stompie smax — March 24, 2009
wait, yellow is a MAN COLOR?! oh no! i've been mis-gendering myself this whole time!
steff_ — March 25, 2009
@stompie smax: I think there's still hope for you and your gender. Maybe it's not just yellow, but the combination of black and yellow. This combination is very often used for tools. So this deodorant is actually a men protection tool. OMG! :)
The Nerd — March 26, 2009
I think the reason there is no line for boys is that boys are expected to want to be men, so as to make things easier on the marketing department.
Sociological Images » DESIGNED WITH WHO IN MIND?! — April 23, 2009
[...] blue lines and swirly pink ones is the only explanation for the epidemic of such symbolism (see here and here for [...]
ragey mcrage — December 1, 2009
OH MY GOD I AM OUTRAGED
HOW COULD A WEBSITE ATTEMPT TO APPEAL TO ITS TARGET AUDIENCE?
ALL WEBSITES SHOULD BE IN GREYSCALE WITH NOTHING BUT PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINES
for real though bro? you're trying to hard to get angry at something. calm down.
satan himself — December 9, 2009
i feel the same way with Victoria Secret. Marketing their panties to just woman. The BASTARDS!
sidenote: get over yourselves.
The Fractal Nature of the Gender Binary: Or Blue vs. Turquoise » Sociological Images — January 7, 2010
[...] is, the rule that everything (oh animals, jobs, food, kleenex, housework, sound, games, deordorant, love and sex, candy, vitamins, etc) gets split into male and female–is fractal. That means [...]
Southern Boy — January 7, 2010
lol @satan himself....
women think that everything thing we men do is against women. Get a grip. they market certain smells that are more appealing to certain genders. I know I wouldn't want to walk around with Just Dance or Pink Crush on me....and I can also speak for my wife who would say she would not like to walk around with Power on when she can get Sexy Intrigue.
Seriously...people find anything to complain about. I assure you, that you do not speak for the majority of women, but I speak for the majority of men....like satan himself said "get over yourselves".
Steph — January 8, 2010
Degree men's and women's deodorant only differ in their scents! I know, I got a man's deodorant in the mail and loved it so much I used up the sample and when I ran out bought it in a women's scent. Not that there was anything wrong with the "manly" scent, I just wanted something different. Does anyone know if there is a price premium for the scent differences? For example, the scent I bought which was part of their "Designer Fragrance" line seemed to cost more than their other scents, but I am not sure if it cost more than the "manly" scents.
Quick hit: the gender binary fractal in geekdom | Geek Feminism Blog — January 9, 2010
[...] is, the rule that everything (oh animals, jobs, food, kleenex, housework, sound, games, deordorant, love and sex, candy, vitamins, etc) gets split into male and female–is fractal. That means [...]
Heb jij een lief: The sequel deel 12 - Pagina 43 - 9lives - Games Forum — July 18, 2011
[...] [...]
Radek Piskorski — March 18, 2013
This is all you need to know:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUjh4DE8FZA