So what's changed since Dove seeded the movement with its
"Campaign for Real Beauty" 10 years ago? A lot. Anecdotally, there
are more women in leadership positions at brands (though agencies
still aren't doing their part, with women representing a dismally
low percentage of creative leadership). Social media has given
consumers the power to speak out loudly against ads they find
sexist. And, culturally -- well, let's just call it the "Lean In"
phenomenon.
Beyond frills and fluff
Marketers, now subject to the social-media jury, are increasingly
pressured to stand for something beyond the sell. That's become
even more apparent with each passing year at industry awards shows,
where "doing good" has become less of a trend and more of a
requirement. Advertisers have woken up to the fact that women --
and plenty of men, too -- will take to Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook
to decry sexist, tasteless and phony advertising. But if done well,
marketing with purpose can rally consumers around your brand.
"On the internet, women have been able to build power …
to move and change public debate," said Jennifer Pozner, founder
and executive director of Women in Media and News. "Some of them
have wised up and said … 'If we create ad platforms that
treat women and girls as if they're fully human, we can turn them
into brand loyalists."
Advertising Benchmark Index surveyed consumers after they had
viewed Always' "Like a Girl," which shows how the phrase can
marginalize young women; Pantene's "Not Sorry," which refutes
women's need to continually apologize; and Verizon's "Inspire her
Mind," which outlines how young girls are subtly steered away from
science and engineering. The researcher found that not only do a
majority of consumers feel the ads promote a positive message for
women, they have a strong, positive impact on the brands'
reputation. "Given the subject matter, the call-to-action scores
were higher than might be expected," said ABX President Gary
Getto.
In other words, female empowerment sells.
Just ask Dove. The brand has been racking up headlines, ad
awards and cash-register receipts ever since launching "Campaign
for Real Beauty" in 2004. Dove sales have jumped to $4 billion from
$2.5 billion in the campaign's inaugural year. (Then again, while
Unilever markets "Real Beauty" in the West,
it also markets "White Beauty" in Asia.)
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It doesn't hurt that boldface marketing names are getting behind
the issue. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's book "Lean In," which
explores women's progress in leadership roles, just recorded its
71st week on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Her organization
LeanIn.org is tackling institutional sexism by partnering with
stock-photo giant Getty on an image collection that abolishes
female stereotypes.
The creatives behind Dove's lauded campaign, Janet Kestin and
Nancy Vonk, are also about to publish a book,
"Darling You Can't Do Both: And Other Noise to Ignore on Your Way
Up."
In education and tech, there's a huge push to support girls'
participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
programs. Toy manufacturers are building out new categories by
addressing girls' interest in toys that go beyond frills and fluff,
as seen in the launch of brands like GoldieBlox -- "toys for future
innovators" -- and Go Go Sports Girls.
This environment has created a perfect storm for Procter &
Gamble's Always feminine hygiene brand, whose brand purpose for 30
years has been to empower women and safeguard girls' confidence.
"But who knew, because it's not something that was ever
advertised," said Becky Swanson, exec VP-executive creative
director at Leo Burnett, Chicago, which created the Always "Like a
Girl" campaign. "There was a feeling that it's time to talk about
it and not just toot our own horn, but to take a more active,
public role in making a positive change in the world. As our client
would say, one girl at a time."
The seed of the effort was Always' research uncovering a steep
drop-off in confidence as girls went through puberty. That, paired
with the insight that nine out of 10 women agree words can be
harmful, was the basis for the video. Pantene, Verizon and Under
Armour also said their recent campaigns were grounded in extensive
consumer research.
"It astonishes me it's taken so long for others to follow in
Dove's footsteps. ... There's been so little in that vein in the
last decade," said Jean Kilbourne, creator of the documentary
"Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image of Women." "Traditional
advertising has remained so sexist. In many ways it's worse than
when I started looking at it years ago. ... Given that, ads like
these, even though they're not perfect, are a step in the right
direction."
Don't call me feminist
Feminism is as prevalent -- or even more prevalent -- as a
marketing theme as it was in the heyday of women's rights pioneers
like Gloria Steinem, but it has taken a 180-degree twist in
tonality. The stridency of "You've come a long way, baby" has given
way to an inclusive message of female empowerment. Today's Enjoli
woman wouldn't just bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan;
she'd also conduct a cooking class for young girls aspiring to be
chefs.