Trend 04
No taboo
No taboo
Naturalness wins over discomfort.
Trend axes
- Sexuality
- Acceptance
- Destigmatize
- Self-censorship
Some figures
67%
Of people over 65 in the United Kingdom find it difficult to talk about sexuality in later life, according to a study by Relate.
20%
Share of Britons who think it is fine to talk about sex and intimacy among older people. The figure drops to 10% among senior respondents.
14,080
Spanish women who start a new life with one breast every year. Of the 16,000 mastectomies performed each year, only 4,800 involve breast reconstruction, according to the Teta & Teta community.
+3,600
Suicides a year in Spain (and 200 attempts in 2019), figures that rise every year. Yet it is still not talked about because of an assumed copycat effect.
We need to talk
Time passes, but taboos remain. The protection of free speech, social evolution and even the weakened notion of sin, once guarded by anachronistic religious dogma, are not enough to stop there being issues we find hard to talk about freely.
Driven by complaints from activist groups, advertising is starting to change the tone and script of its campaigns to put an end to stereotypes and prejudice, through an intersectional perspective that includes voices that had been silent until now.
The goal of this new marketing is not only to make popularly banned topics visible, but to change our perception of realities that until now could be uncomfortable.
Recognising the taboos that affect us and turning these limitations into opportunities is key to normalising the naturalness of a discomfort that should not exist, shedding the fear of what people will say and so moving forward as a society.
Will we ever achieve a society free of taboos?
Expert view
Kimi Yamada
New Business & Communication Director at Platanomelón
“It is about contributing day by day, starting conversations even if they may seem uncomfortable at first. Creating safe spaces of trust helps people start talking about certain taboo topics without fear and see the community's support. Social media is a very good channel for this, especially when we brands are there to support the conversation.
We have a responsibility to inform, educate and involve people in the goal of eliminating taboos, and even to rethink whether their current connotation is the right one. We need to redefine concepts and implications from a natural and human point of view.
The world is no longer binary; there are many nuances. Each person is a world in themselves, and we need to take that on board. Not all women have a vulva, and having a penis does not make you a man.”
Cases
01 / 03Zorraquino spotlights
- 01
Social taboos suppress discussion of many social issues, compromising health and short-circuiting quality of life by keeping important information in the dark.
- 02
It is up to marketers to destigmatise normal bodily processes and bring taboo topics to light to create an honest dialogue in consumer society.
- 03
Social media is becoming an exponential platform for activism among communities seeking to topple the stereotypes perpetuated by advertising throughout history.
Zorraquino playlist
- Resisto Y YaLido Pimienta · 2020
- Vicente Amorshego · 2021
- MERICHANEZahara · 2021
More on the trend
References
- Tendencia 6. Only me 123 Tendencia 7. Cryptocollect 145 Tendencia 8. Neocañí 164 Tendencia 9. Purpose culture 183 Tendencia 10. New gods 200 Referencias 224 La campaña para que hablar y disfrutar del sexo en la vejez dejen de ser tabú Otros informes 248
- "Nakeducation", la campaña que desbarata los estereotipos femeninos con la complicidad del arte
- Pinterest embraces body acceptance with new ad policy
- Pantys launches first transgender and non-binary collection of underwear
- Mango lanza una colección de lencería y ropa de baño para mujeres con un solo pecho
- Degree Inclusive is a deodorant packaged for people with disabilities
- El gobierno de Noruega prohibirá a las 'influencers' subir fotos retocadas sin avisar
- Veet nos anima a aceptar (o no) nuestro vello corporal
- Teta & Teta | Comunidad que reivindica libertad femenina a través de la creatividad y el activismo.
- Ideo: How to Turn Social Taboos Into Innovative Products
- 3 ways brands can break taboos and drive conversation
- Top Six Taboo Topics 2021
- VIH, sexo y suicidio: la evolución de la sociedad a través de sus tabúes
- No súper, solo humano: cómo '# WeThe15' espera cambiar la conversación sobre la discapacidad
- Parsons afirma que Tokio 2020 celebrará “los Juegos Paralímpicos más importantes de la historia”
- Pantys
Pages 82–97 of the report
