No girls allowed

Tracey Lien, Polygon:

President of the marketing firm A Squared Group Amy Cotteleer says that marketing is so powerful that it can shape our values and beliefs, and we’re often not even aware that it’s happening. Coca-Cola’s marketing campaigns in the 1920s are the reason why the modern-day image of Santa Claus is a jovial, plump man in a Coca-Cola Red suit. Prior to Coca-Cola, there was no consistent image of Santa. He was often represented as a skinny man who sometimes wore green and sometimes wore brown. So if Coca-Cola could sell us the modern-day Santa, the game industry would not have had much trouble selling the idea that video games are for males.

Kick off this detailed and gorgeous read explaining why video games are for boys and why that needs to change with this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CU040Hqbas

Tracey Lien and Polygon, thank you for this amazing feature. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think there’s something in my eye.