The gender bias in NIVEA® sunscreen advertisements in Sweden: A transhistorical perspective.

This article examines gender bias in NIVEA® sunscreen advertisements in Sweden from 1931 to 1961 and 2015 to 2023, using multimodal critical discourse analysis to explore how linguistic and visual elements shape health and beauty discourses. It identifies persistent themes of sexualization and beauty, scientific rationality, and shifting product functions, revealing that both historical and contemporary ads primarily target women, linking sunscreen use to feminine beauty ideals and anti-ageing rather than universal health protection. The study highlights how scientific claims often lack clarity, and how advertisements reinforce neoliberal ideals of bodily self-management while excluding men and people of color. It calls for more inclusive marketing that frames sunscreen as a universal health necessity with diverse representations and clearer, evidence-based information, alongside stricter regulations addressing misleading semiotic elements in advertising.