Suffering from International Women’s Day branding fatigue

In recent years, though, brands have hijacked the occasion, latching onto it as a marketing opportunity as they look to capitalize on the feel-good, girl-power spirit that the day evokes.

And I’ve about had it.

Maybe it’s the timing of this year’s IWD—coming as the world’s most powerful nation decides yet again that a woman can’t be president; as women’s reproductive rights hang in the balance; as leaders continue to ignore gruesome instances of femicide. Regardless, I’m not the only person who feels this way. A new survey from brand agency Berlin Cameron and market research firm Perksy found that 30% of women see brands’ advocacy for women as an excuse to drive sales.

We were already approaching this point of fatigue two years ago, when McDonald’s flipped its golden arches to resemble a W—for women, duh—as a way to mark the day. The burger chain faced backlash for the stunt, but the lesson has not taken hold. This year oil and gas company Shell says it is “becoming She’ll for International Women’s Day,” with a logo at a station in San Dimas, Calif., getting the teeny tiny apostrophe. The campaign is supposed to show that “small gestures can motivate and deliver big messages,” but it feels like a gesture that’s as empty as an upside-down M.