Model Ruby Rose recently said in an interview “I called myself a girl, but only because my options were limited. I always assumed that everyone felt that way”.

Rose identifies as ‘gender fluid’, and is one of many famous figures like Miley Cyrus and Jaden Smith who are challenging the ‘male or female’ gender binary, as well as the conventional notions of how men and women should behave.

These figures are inspiring the next generation of consumers. At our recent Spark Session on Gen Z & Millennials, a drive towards genderlessness, and a subversion of gender codes was an emergent theme.

So why then does marketing feel so caught up in binary stereotypes?

Some of the most compelling campaigns in recent memory have been those which challenge gender pre-conceptions – like Axe’s Find Your Magic or This Girl Can by Sport England.

But these remain the exception rather than the rule. What might letting go of the gender binary do for your brand?