There’s a sound of an engine outside and as the doorbell goes, she slides into her slippers and greets the third delivery driver this week. The waiter-on-wheels thrusts tonight’s Greek offering into her hands. A glance up and down gives the viewer enough time to note the uncorked rosé on the coffee table, the tousled hair and untidy pile of shoes near the door. 

We’re all familiar with the character, but as Rachel Aroesti's Guardian article so perfectly puts it, this is the ‘Messy Millennial’. She is charismatic, self-destructive, and increasingly tiresome - dominating pretty much every female-led TV show from ‘Fleabag’ to the more recent ‘Everything I Know About Love’ and, more worryingly, she has stumbled her way into advertising… 

I agree with Rachel - it’s difficult to deny that ‘Messy Millennial’ women ruling mainstream culture is more of a step forward than a step back, and that some of these shows expertly explore themes of mental health and trauma in ways that are both empathetic and evocative. But she’s evolving from something relatable into a reductive, comedic stereotype that is devastating for young women. 

‘Everything I Know About Love’ even states how the show is based on the truth but ‘fictionalised when life didn’t offer a good enough story’, leaving a frankly hazy idea of where the true character ends and the ‘Messy Millennial’ typecast begins.

I get it, advertising doesn’t have the luxury of seven 45-minute episodes to unpack a protagonist’s complex personality – we’re often stuck with just 30 seconds. 30 seconds for the viewer to understand who this person is, where they find themselves, and how the product or service is right for them. But perhaps if we can’t do her justice, we shouldn’t try…Unfortunately, it would appear some already have. 

Take the Royal Bank of Scotland’s TV spot where a woman has lost her card, but the bank can now freeze it. The loss of a card is an anxiety-inducing experience where waves of dread circle your mind. Where is it? Who has it? But instead, this TV spot paints the young woman to be irresponsible, clumsy, suggesting even that the loss of belongings on a wild night out is a regular occurrence. However, she’s not worried, the bank can swoop in to tidy up her mess so she can continue to sip her South American nut milk-based coffee. 

Another example is Aussie, the haircare brand that’s made itself at home in the bathrooms of millennial women all over the world. They’ve embraced the messiness of this new stereotype, through using their product as a solution with their campaign ‘Great hair though’ - perhaps a phrase Aussie are expecting women to use to excuse all their fumbles? Their OOH-led work hero’s lines like ‘Made with Australian macadamia nut oil for smooth and conditioned hair. Useless information when I’m locked out of my flat’. And ‘3 minutes to transform my hair. And a second to accidentally reply all.’ Using moments in women’s lives that are a bit ‘tangled’ to push their products. 

As someone who tries their best to recycle; drink enough water; endure the occasional Soul class; sustain relationships; get eight hours of shut eye; eat enough greens and propel my career. I find it insulting that these brands have pigeon-holed women my age as aimless and hopeless. This trope is single-handedly swinging a Miley Cyrus-riding wrecking ball through the aspirations of many women who hope to do more. I can imagine most women who don’t identify with this personality find these campaigns as alienating as I do. 

It seems to me that brands are exploiting the messiness of this new stereotype to use their product or service as the solution to the clutter. This self-deprecating approach can offer a relatable and authentic tone in pop culture, but perhaps not when eight-figure valued corporations are leveraging it as part of their strategy to ‘appeal’ by making them appear more fun or edgy. 

It’s the sort of cliché that you wouldn't catch the likes of female-worshipped brands like Dove, Adidas or Bodyform conforming to these days. Women don’t need saving from themselves and the brands that face this not-so-harsh reality will be the ones that go the furthest. 

So what’s a brand to do? Act more like them. Lift women up. Focus on the positive side of our sometimes-messy lives, don’t drag us down in your negative portrayals. Empower us. Don’t be under any impression that your brand can be the hero or saviour we all need. Ask yourself whether the ‘Messy Millennial’ characterisation will really add value to your campaign? Can you unpack her complex personality in the space or time that you have? Will she help your brand appear more relatable for the target audience, or are you fuelling a comedic stereotype? But the simplest advice, if in doubt, is to run your idea past a millennial woman and see how she feels about it. If you don’t get the positive reaction you were after, there’s your answer.