ABSTRACT
This chapter considers gender-bending advertisements by CoverGirl and Louis Vuitton as components of a discursive Conversation which encourages to think about heteronormativity, queerness, and consumerism. The very work of marketing contains social and political aspects, and codifies cultural norms and values—including those associated with gender. In 2016, both companies took a public stance on a queer presentation of gender and challenged traditional gender norms. Gender-bending serves as a mark of distinction that allows companies who do it to position themselves as queer-friendly, modernizing their brands and appealing to a queer audience. Brands marketing to mainstream consumers have always catered to changing trends in consumption, both material and aesthetic. Contrary to elite or high fashion brands, which have the cultural capital to exercise more flexibility in creativity and presentation, CoverGirl must appeal to a broad audience, which suggests that the company expected a positive response to their use of a male model.
