Saatchi & Saatchi Revises ‘Pregnant Man’ Ad For 50th Anniversary Of Roe V. Wade
50 years ago, women had a say about whether to keep the fetus they were carrying. The same can no longer be said post-Roe v. Wade.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the monumental Roe v. Wade decision recognizing women’s reproductive rights, advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi London reimagined its iconic Pregnant Man campaign from 1970 that compelled the public to think, “Would you be more careful if it was you that got pregnant?”
The message resounds louder in 2023, now months from the reversal of the ruling that relinquished the constitutional right to abortion in the US.
2/2 the anniversary not only marks 50 years of Roe v. Wade, it marks 50 years of men making decisions over women’s bodies.
— Saatchi & Saatchi (@saatchiuk) January 23, 2023
52 years later. #RoeVWade pic.twitter.com/c28rHwLwdY
— Saatchi & Saatchi (@saatchiuk) July 30, 2022
Explaining the refreshed visual, Saatchi & Saatchi London says the advertisement doesn’t just honor 50 years of Roe v. Wade but also “marks 50 years of men making decisions over women’s bodies.”
The revamped version envisions Supreme Court judges Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, John Roberts Jr, and Brett Kavanaugh as pregnant, with an expecting Samuel Alito in the center. The five men were central to the overturn of the decision that led to the regression of abortion rights in the nation.
It’s a follow-up to an updated Pregnant Man graphic from 2022 featuring just Justice Alito, who has long been vocal about criminalizing abortion.
Our iconic Pregnant Man advert has no business being this absurdly relevant 52 years later. Abortion is a human right. #RoeVWade pic.twitter.com/8y3PuAfpkQ
— Saatchi & Saatchi (@saatchiuk) July 30, 2022
“50 years would usually be a milestone to celebrate, but instead, we commiserate with all the women in the United States whose bodies have, once again, been ruled to be outside their sphere of autonomy,” Saatchi & Saatchi CCO Franki Goodwin regrettably expresses.
The agency adds that it will continue using archival Saatchi concepts to underline its stance on women’s rights until change happens.
[via B&T and Little Black Book, images via Saatchi & Saatchi London]
