Why Did This Argentinean Store Jack Up Prices on International Women's Day?

In Argentina the weird idea that women actually like ironing and cleaning, and that therefore household appliances are great gifts, is an oddly persistent one. Year after year, brands use Mother’s Day and – spectacularly missing the point – International Women’s Day as an excuse to promote their products. They exhort consumers to buy it for “mom” or for “the woman of the house”. Cringe.

That’s why Publicis Buenos Aires generated #RegalaleUnRegalo, for Minicuotas Ribeiro, a store that specialises in appliances. Instead of holding a sale, the prices for domestic appliances were jacked up to unattainable levels to communicate on the message: an iron or a hoover are not and never should have been a gift option.

“Like society, we’ve already begun to examine the role that women had before but still there is a long way to be covered. From Publicis Buenos Aires we are working to contribute to the change and exactly to replace the women’s place in the advertising”, commented Publicis Buenos Aires Creative Director Florencia Rodríguez.

Across the Women’s Day campaign, Minicuotas Ribeiro encouraged their audience to delight women, defending their status and give them gifts that were… real gifts.