IBM's #HackAHairDryer campaign branded 'patronising'

IBM thought they had an ingenious way of tackling the well-documented lack of gender diversity in STEM professions with their #HackAHairDryer video campaign, but it has backfired…

The video was initially posted in October as part of a wider attempt to promote STEM careers. It called on women involved in the science and technology fields to “reengineer what matters in science.”

While a whole host of varied experiments were carried out, a voiceover said: “You, a windblaster and an idea, repurposed for a larger purpose, to support those who believe that it’s not what covers your cranium that counts, but what’s in it. So hack heat, re-route airflow, reinvent sound, and imagine a future where the most brilliant minds are solving the world’s biggest problems regardless of your gender.”

This is not the first time a hashtag has backfired on a company's recruitment team. The #Ilooklikeasurgeon and #Ilooklikeanengineer hashtags recently showed how misguided hiring efforts can be picked up on, with the employer brand being hurt in the process.