Empowering Through Femvertising? Exploring the Post-feminist Discourses in Indian Internationally Award-winning Advertisements Vis-à-Vis the World

Abstract

This study examined the presence and implications of post-feminist discourses in internationally award-winning femvertisements featuring Indian women and sociocultural themes. Using Windels et al.’s (2020, Journal of Advertising, 49(1), 18–33; 2023, Feminist Media Studies, 23(1), 1–18) six-element post-feminist framework, 102 advertisements (73 global and 29 Indian) were analysed for evidence of commodity feminism, individualisation, self-surveillance and related discourses. The findings revealed a dominant presence of commodity feminism and confidence culture in Indian femvertising, while global ads exhibited higher occurrences of self-surveillance and individualisation. Statistical comparisons showed significant differences between Indian and international campaigns, particularly in the portrayal of empowerment through brand consumption, objectification under the guise of agency and the invisibilisation of caste, class and intersectional struggles. Viewers in India favoured ads saturated with post-feminist tropes, reinforcing internalised neoliberal ideals. The study concludes that Indian femvertising largely reflects faux feminism, commodifying empowerment while neglecting the political and structural roots of inequality. It calls for more inclusive, intersectional representations aligned with the fourth wave of feminism. It introduces the Self-esteemed–Empowered–Allied framework as a tool for more authentic feminist advertising practices.