Meet your 2015 Pirelli calendar lineup: a woman bent over a bike in a red thong staring seductively over her shoulder. Let’s not forget the woman wearing a topless leather corset posing against a chair holding a whip.

For its 2016 calendar, Pirelli sends a strikingly different message. Instead of picturing oily beach babes, the upcoming calendar features 13 influential women, chosen for “outstanding professional, social, cultural, sporting and artistic accomplishment.”

Photographer Annie Leibovitz snapped black-and-white portraits of women like comedian Amy Schumer, athlete Serena Williams and investment banker Mellody Hobson — women who excel at something other than being exceptionally beautiful.

Images in the media evidence societal norms and set standards toward which individuals should aspire. In this case, Pirelli frames successful, influential women as something to be desired. With its decision, the tire company shows the value of embracing cultural shifts toward female empowerment.

“This makes us look at what’s sexy differently — power, talent and skill can also be sexy,” said Charisse L’Pree, a professor at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

The benefits of social responsibility are amplified through social media and Pirelli has made itself relevant by being a leader in a cultural shift, rather than being left behind. More than 84,000 people were talking about the Pirelli calendar on Facebook, as of Dec. 5. Pirelli has earned positive coverage on influential feminist blogs like Jezebel, widening its appeal and enhancing its image.

After the shoot, Schumer even tweeted an un-retouched photo, and she’s not in a thong or in a sexually suggestive position. Instead, she looks like she just woke up. Coffee cup in hand, Schumer sits topless and hunched over — belly rolls and all — sporting lacy briefs, stilettos and killer legs. In her caption, Schumer sends a powerful message about body image.

“Beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman. Thank you @annieleibovitz,” Schumer wrote.

The popularity of Schumer’s images counter the idea that sexualized women are what the public wants to see and also demonstrates the power of social media. Popular discussion online reveals that progressive content is worthy of attention.

“With stories like these constantly going viral, we begin to see that the public has a hunger to talk about women in a way that goes beyond stereotypes,” said L’Pree.

If the company had depicted yet another woman slathered in oil, it would not have generated nearly as much positive attention because naked women are old news. When a company places itself at the forefront of cultural discussions, everyone wins — and for Pirelli, victors include women, consumers, society and the company itself.

The old saying “sex sells” is no longer an excuse for companies to broadcast hypersexualized images of women. Heading into 2016, companies can differentiate themselves by being better.

Millennials want to see progressive action as a generation that champions new understandings of beauty and empowerment — images of sandy beach babes just don’t cut it anymore.

Alison Gala is a senior public relations major and Spanish minor. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at aegala@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @alison_gala.

Published on December 8, 2015 at 7:54 pm