Rewriting the Script: Language, Gender, and Social Change in Detergent Advertising in Kenya

This study examines how detergent advertising in Kenya constructs or contests gender roles through linguistic strategies, visual elements, and cultural symbolism. Anchored in Multimodal Discourse Analysis and Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity, the research explores how domestic labor is framed within media discourse and how shifting portrayals reflect broader socio-cultural transformations. Using a qualitative design, six advertisements—three televised and three digital—aired between 2020 and 2024 were purposively selected based on audience engagement metrics. The ads were transcribed and analyzed through Critical Discourse Analysis, focusing on language use, character representation, narrative framing, and visual iconography. The findings reveal a dual tendency: while some advertisements reinforce traditional gender norms, particularly through recurring domestic tropes, others—mainly from digital platforms—offer more progressive portrayals that suggest an emerging discourse of inclusivity and shared domestic responsibility. The study underscores the role of media as a contested site for negotiating gender ideologies and advocates for more socially responsive advertising practices. By offering a localized feminist critique of mediated domesticity, the paper contributes to feminist media studies and calls for further research into gendered discourse across diverse media and product categories in Kenya.