The campaigns which championed women in 2015
Always #LikeAGirl – Girl Emojis
On International Women’s Day, AOL UK’s Isobel Sita-Lumsden analyses five video advertising campaigns that have represented women in a positive and empowering way over the last year.
Sport England: This Girl Can
“Be inclusive”
From the moment the first beat of Missy Elliott’s “Get Your Freak On” kicks in, this is one video you cannot ignore. Launched in January 2015, this refreshing and impactful campaign ad from Sport England celebrates women who love to get active, no matter how good they are or what they look like in lycra.
Created off the back of a piece of research, which revealed a worrying gender gap in exercise, the film takes an honest and very real approach to female body image, challenging representations of women that often deter them from taking part in sport.
This is a fantastic example of an inclusive piece of content that aims to inspire. The campaign has clearly generated the right sort of response from women up and down the country. The video has had over 37 million views to date and over 540,000 people have joined the campaign’s social media community.
Spanning numerous marketing channels, This Girl Can struck a chord globally, creating headlines around the world, not just in the UK. Sport England says that a further 2.8 million women aged between 14 and 40 have exercised as a result of the campaign – proof that reality rather than idealism is often a better route to empowerment.
Barbie: Imagine The Possibilities
“Stay Ahead of the Curve”
If you’re looking to empower women, tapping into the younger generation is vital. Created by ad agency, BBDO San Francisco, ‘Imagine The Possibilities’ does just this, with the right amount of comedy and charm.
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What happens when girls are free to imagine they can be anything, asks toy manufacturing company, Mattel. Whether it’s teaching others about the intricacies of the brain as a professor, helping animals in the role of a veterinarian, or coaching a football team, these five young girls’ ambitious approach to life and their futures is truly infectious.
As one of the first dolls to represent the working woman, Barbie has become an institution, standing the test of time against its competitors. This is no doubt partly due to Mattel’s ability to stay ahead of the curve more than fifty-six years since the doll’s début.
This classic toy maintains its relevancy in modern society through a creative approach to advertising.
Always #LikeAGirl – Girl Emojis
“Harness The Power of the Web”
Leveraging the power of the web and delving into the meaning behind emojis, Always has created yet another powerful instalment to its #LikeAGirl campaign. Expressing more than just a happy or sad face, this brand explores how emojis expose implicit sexism. Young and intuitive girls feature in the video, highlighting a worrying absence of sporty and professional emojis for women.
Unless ‘you count being a bride’ as one young girl points out in an interview. Instead, these are replaced with girls in pink dresses. These faces don’t accurately represent women today, despite the fact that girls send over a billion emojis every day.
Always found that more than half of girls (54%) feel that female emojis are stereotypical, in a piece of research the brand had commissioned, putting substance behind their message. The spot helps tackle girls’ confidence around the time of puberty and demonstrates the impact of social media and power of the web when it comes to shaping the next generation of women.
Make Love not Scars: Beauty Tips by Reshma: How to get perfect red lips
“Experiment With Your Format”
A beauty tutorial like no other, this non-government organisation catches viewers’ attention by demonstrating how to achieve the perfect red lips. Dedicated to rehabilitating acid attack victims, Make Love not Scars, experiments with the popular tutorial video format to communicate their powerful message.
One burns victim goes through the motions of how to apply lipstick with charm and infectious positivity, before the video switches to a more serious tone, highlighting that this product can be bought on the market as easily as concentrated acid.
With a prompt call to action, MLNS have clocked up an impressive 1.6 million views since releasing the video back in August last year. This organisation knows that the element of surprise can be an impactful tool when delivering a message. A tactic they used in December with their Christmas Carol by Reshma special, yet another example of the effectiveness of varying your formats.
Gatorade: Serena Williams – Sisterhood
“Make Viewers Empathise”
Sports drink, Gatorade, is known for its impactful and memorable ad campaigns and this one is no exception. Released last September in time for the US Open, this stirring video features the indomitable Serena Williams as she explains how her sister, Venus, has helped to inspire her success and shape her tennis career.
Sisterhood is one in a series of films that Gatorade has produced with Serena to demonstrate its “Win from Within” mantra. Filmed in a documentary style, it sensitively unveils the real woman behind the champion.
Serena may be one of the world’s most successful sport stars, but the beauty of this campaign lies in just how relatable she is. The audience builds an emotional connection with Serena, so we can understand her motivations and her struggles. Whether you like tennis or not, it’s hard not to admire her spirit and her attitude.
This series marks a step change in sports advertising and demonstrates that hiring a well-known name for a brand campaign isn’t enough in itself – they must be relevant, engaging, inspiring and approachable.
Isobel Sita-Lumsden is head of marketing for AOL UK