Women in the RAF - advertising equality

If you recall, some months back I posted about an RAF ad in the Metro that I found rather cliched and sexist. Well, the RAF seems to have learned from their mistakes and placed another ad in the Metro that is much improved in their visualisation of women in the RAF.

(Taken the Metro 18 March 2010) (My apologies for the folded corner.)

The text reads:

FLIGHT LIEUTENANT
ANNE GEISON
RAF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER

KINLOSS, SCOTLAND
12TH SEPTEMBER 2006

(image: plane in clouds)

A RUSSIAN PILOT CAUGHT IN A
STORM - LOST AND LOW ON FUEL.

 (image: black and white plane with lightning)

AND ME - 2 WEEKS
OUT OF TRAINING.

THE STORM KNOCKED OUT
HIS INTRUMENTS AND
HALF OF MY RADAR...

(image: black and white radio tower with lightning)

HE WAS HEADED FOR SOME RADIO
MASTS - I HAD TO ACT QUICKLY.

(image: black and white man in plane looking stressed)

I GOT HIM BACK ON COURSE,
KEPT HIM CALM, GUIDED HIM DOWN.

A FEW WEEKS LATER I RECEIVED
AN AWARD AT DOWNING ST.

(image: photo of RAF woman in front of No. 10 Downing Street)

MUM WAS
REALLY CHUFFED.

BE PART OF THE STORY

Comparison of the two ads: (apologies for sloppy formatting)

Role of main character:	Nurse	Air Traffic Controller
Person(s) helped:	"men"	"Russian pilot" (male)
Problem:	"What do you do for men who've seen what they've seen?"	storm knocked out radar
Actions taken:	care, gave coke & kind word	got him back on course, calmed, guided
End Result:	proud of soldiers "brothers"	award in Downing St, mum is happy
Words in bold:	ambushed, injured, care, they'd, kind word, coke, brothers, proud	lost, low on fuel, training, half of my radar, quickly

The main emphasis of the first ad was emotional; the main emphasis of the second ad was technical. While the first ad focussed on empathy and social skills in comforting, the second ad focussed on ability to work under pressure. The results of the ad also vary from a non-descript feeling of pride to a nationally recognised award leading to others being happy. This can also be shown in the words in bold from the ad: training, and half of my radar are both knowledge and skill based as compared to care, kind word and coke from the previous ad.

Overall, this ad shows a gender-neutral look at women in the RAF. The role is less stereotypical - how many air traffic controllers in the RAF are women? The actions and skills displayed are also more knowledge and skill based rather than a soft genereic skill such as giving coke. The ad doesn't make the flight lieutenant in question completely emotionless, though, as the note that "mum was really chuffed" shows that she still cares about her family and what they think. It softens the entire ad without over-sentimentalising it.

Congratulations, RAF, for not falling into the stereotypes that caught you last time. The huge size of this ad and its placement in the general news section of the Metro should attract women who are thinkers and doers rather than passive television viewers. The only change I'd make is from a blue colour scheme to a warmer one, as that blue is generally associated with masculinity and warmer colours with feminity. (Except for purple. Maybe that's an idea?)