„Goldener Zaunpfahl“-Awards
The Award
Prize for absurd Gendermarketing
The negative prize for absurd gender marketing „Der Goldene Zaunpfahl”* is meant to incite a dialogue about diversity and identity, about belonging and standardizing. The prize aims to reveal the harmful messages of gendered marketing and reminds the marketing industry of its social responsibility with an annual turnover of 45 billion and more Euros (figures for Germany).
The award is aimed at companies and their marketing departments to challange them to develop more intelligent and innovative strategies for marketing their products. It also calls on consumers to defend themselves more frequently against restrictive role models and to actively use their purchasing power to ensure that unimaginative gender marketing regularly leads to shelf warmers.

A 'Zaunpfahl' is a fence post, and a German idiom that translates as "waving with a fence post" means that you are either stating the obvious or dropping a hint in a manner that is not in the least bit subtle — hence the "golden fence post" award.
Since 2017
"waving with the fence post"


"German award for worst advertising gender stereotypes goes to TOPModel
TOPModel uses a cast of 14 dolls to market its stationery and makeup products to girls. A German initiative to challenge harmful messages in ads has just awarded the brand a prize for "absurd gender marketing.""
Artikel on Deutsche Welle (DW) about the winner of 2020
Harmful stereotypes can restrict the choices, aspirations and opportunities of children, young people and adults and these stereotypes can be reinforced by some advertising, which plays a part in unequal gender outcomes.
(ASA and CAP News 14 Dec 2018.) – Following a public consultation, CAP has published its ‚Advertising Guidance on depicting gender stereotypes‘
The “Goldener Zaunpfahl“ is a pro bono initiative and is organized by the non-profit association klische*esc e.V. based in Bonn, Germany. Since the awarding of the prize is to remain independent of the support by individual companies, it is made possible solely by donations. (Donation page of the association)
Thank you!
