See 2024’s top International Women’s Day campaigns & activations

From the Climate Clock’s call for swift action on global gender parity to former US Representative Carolyn Maloney’s push for the Equal Rights Amendment, join The Drum as we delve into each campaign and reveal how they underscore a collective effort for a more equitable and inclusive future.

Vans champions women skaters in ‘Always Pushing’

In honor of International Women’s Day, Vans has chosen skateboarding trailblazer Lizzie Armanto as the driving force behind its broader ‘Always Pushing’ campaign, which aims to foster inclusive storytelling.

The first chapter of the campaign, led by Armanto, highlights individuals who have inspired her to push forward, featuring women both in front of and behind the camera. Vans will release a series of stories throughout the year, focusing on changemakers who push boundaries on and off the skateboard, embodying the positive catalysts steering the brand into the future.

Häagen-Dazs grants five powerful women in with $100,000 with ‘The Rose Project’

On International Women’s Day, Häagen-Dazs announced the five winners of The Rose Project, Class of 2023, a global initiative celebrating unsung women with a bursary grant of $100,000. The recipients include Eunice Maia from Portugal, Jennifer Seifert and Karol Ivanna Aceves Flores from Mexico, Sarah Kandolo from South Africa and Yarett Piñeiro from Puerto Rico. Eunice focuses on sustainable food consumption, Jennifer combats violence against women in Mexico, Karol advocates for sexual education, Sarah empowers African female leaders, and Yarett promotes sign language education and services for the Deaf Community in Puerto Rico.

Each recipient, chosen from over 2,500 applications, receives an equal share of the grant to further their impactful work. The initiative, which also involves free scoops giveaways of the ‘Founder’s Favorite,’ Vanilla, extends its support to grassroots women’s charities in the UK, Taiwan and India. Nominations for the 2024 class are open until July 31, 2024.

Ford drives gender equality within the auto industry with ‘Dear Car Girl’

Ford aims to reshape public perceptions of the brand by emphasizing its commitment to being a brand for women in its latest campaign, ‘Dear Car Girl,’ released today.

Dear Car Girl, created in partnership with Wieden+Kennedy New York, comprises a heartfelt film directed by Jihye Ku, which showcasing inspiring figures such as stunt driver Dee Bryant, Ford engineer Fernanda Medina, racer Gabby Downing, and drag racer Lauren Stoney. Accompanying Q&A videos delve deeper into their stories, as well as a printed letter in Auto News and physical letters sent to female ambassadors, Friends of Ford, dealers, and employees. The brand is also supporting women in the automotive industry through partnerships with car enthusiasts like Sydney Sweeney.

805 Beer empowers female trailblazers in ‘Properly Chill’

Paso Robles-based Firestone Walker Brewing Company has unveiled its latest campaign for 805 Beer, a female-led ad spot released on International Women’s Day. The ad features a diverse cast of accomplished athletes and creators known as “Authenticos,” including X-Games gold medalist Vicki Golden, MMA fighter Tabatha Ricci, Babes Ride Out founders Anya Violet and Ashmore Ellis, singer-songwriter Jade Jackson and explorer Gillian Larson.

The campaign, which emphasizes the celebration of inspiring individuals every day, is part of the company’s largest holistic brand effort to-date. The release also includes a short film, titled ‘Reaching The Unknown,’ featuring Gillian Larson’s adventures on the Pacific Coast Trail. Additional programming involves collaborations with Babes Ride Out, a female-inspired apparel line, and initiatives with Vicki Golden’s women’s moto camp.

‘Correct the Internet’ aims to acknowledge Christine Sinclair’s International Football Goal Record in the Guinness World Records

DDB New Zealand this year continues its highly successful ‘Correct the Internet’ campaign, which aims to shift the spotlight from Cristiano Ronaldo to Christine Sinclair as the top result for the query, “Who has scored the most goals in international football?”

A one-day media buy will place the above ad on Google, directing users to the Guinness World Records page officially recognizing Sinclair’s record. Limited funds dictate the campaign's duration, emphasizing the urgency to spread the message through an accompanying video detailing the ad purchase process. The goal is to ensure Sinclair's achievement gets the recognition it deserves, even if the funds for the ad campaign are exhausted.

GoPro celebrates WHM with the ‘Week of Women’ campaign

GoPro rings in International Women’s Day with a new campaign called ‘Week of Women,’ celebrating the ‘sheros’ who redefine possibilities both in front of and behind its cameras.

From athletes to creators, moms to mountaineers, ocean activists to internal employees, and friends of the brand, all kinds of groundbreaking women will be spotlit as the Week of Women unfolds on GoPro’s social channels. The campaign, produced entirely in-house, emphasizes that a woman’s place is wherever she thrives, be it on spine lines, point breaks or trails.

Climate Clock reports incremental rise in gender parity as International Women’s Day approaches

As at least 64 countries gear up for national elections, the Climate Clock in New York City is urging swift action to elevate women’s voices in parliamentary roles and the critical link between gender equality and climate justice. In anticipation of International Women’s Day 2024, the Climate Clock in Union Square has updated its ‘Gender Parity Lifeline’ to reveal a modest increase from 26.5% to 26.9% of women in global parliaments. The out-of-home campaign underscores the slow progress toward achieving the 50% target advocated by women’s and climate movements.

Based on Inter-Parliamentary Union data, the lifeline provides a nuanced view of women’s representation, with noteworthy strides in various regions, including Sub-Saharan Africa. The campaign emphasizes the urgency of achieving gender parity, which is crucial for inclusive and effective climate policies, as women disproportionately bear the impacts of climate change.

L’Oréal Paris tackles street harassment in ‘It’s Never Your Fault’

A recent international survey by L’Oréal Paris and Ipsos reveals that 75% of women around the globe have faced sexual harassment in public spaces, and another 52% of people blame the victim for it. In response to these alarming statistics, L’Oréal Paris tapped international NGO Right To Be to launch the ‘It’s Never Your Fault’ campaign.

The initiative aims to combat street harassment, providing support for women to pursue their aspirations freely. The campaign encourages people to participate in the ‘Stand Up’ method, which boasts over 2.5 million trained individuals globally and challenges harmful attitudes to foster a safer environment. L’Oréal Paris emphasizes that street harassment is never the victim’s fault.

Dove & Drew Barrymore launch #TheFaceof10 to combat youth anti-aging trend

Social media has been abuzz with videos of children and tweens using anti-aging skincare products, underscoring a concerning trend that nearly one in four young girls experience appearance-related anxiety.

That’s why this Women’s History Month, self-care brand Dove teamed up with Drew Barrymore to launch #TheFaceof10, a campaign that advocates for beauty as a source of happiness, not anxiety, and calls on the community to protect young girls’ self-esteem from premature beauty pressures. Drew Barrymore emphasizes the importance of age-appropriate skincare and self-expression. Dove, along with experts Dr Phillippa Diedrichs and dermatologist Dr Marisa Garshick, provides a free resource, ‘The Gen A Anti-Aging Talk,’ to guide parents in addressing beauty anxiety with their children.

Vox Media & Team Milk support women runners at SXSW

In an effort to mitigate the gender gap in sports, Team Milk and Vox Media announced a multi-million-dollar partnership that kicks off on International Women’s Day at SXSW. The collaboration amplifies the “26.2” running initiative, which aims to support women athletes.

Team Milk, known for its commitment to female marathon runners, has grown into a community of 22,000 strong. The partnership features an inspirational run and a panel discussion on women in sports at SXSW, alongside the premiere of the docuseries ‘Running Sucks.’ The comprehensive campaign, including a distance running program on YouTube and features on The Strategist, underscores the commitment to women’s empowerment and visibility in sports. The campaign was created in partnership with the creative agency Gale.

Kotex sparks a new #ProgressFeelsLike movement to advance gender equality

According to a new study released by Kimberly-Clark’s menstrual products brand Kotex, nearly 60% of women express dissatisfaction with the pace of women’s progress, citing stagnation or slow movement. Half of the women surveyed also feel that the world has become more uncomfortable for them.

In response, Kotex launched the #ProgressFeelsLike movement, including a provocative film that illustrates the challenges faced by women worldwide, as well as on-the-ground activations in various countries to spark conversations and drive change. Kotex is also partnering with the non-profit organization She’s the First and donating to support their cause of breaking period stigmas, promoting education ensuring equal opportunities for women.

Former US Rep Carolyn Maloney Launches #ShoutForEquality campaign for equal rights amendment

Up to 80% of Americans believe women are constitutionally guaranteed equal rights; however, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has not been added to the Constitution despite having achieved the required ratifications.

To change this, former US Rep Carolyn Maloney, in collaboration with Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) advocates nationwide, has initiated the ‘Shout for Equality’ campaign to channel the collective discontent of women and supporters across the nation to champion the inclusion of the ERA in the US Constitution. The campaign introduces a unique text line that translates people’s shouts into signatures, fueling the ERA petition drive urging Congress to affirm the ERA’s validity. Shout for Equality was developed by the award-winning agency Ogilvy.

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