P&G launches #WeSeeEqual campaign ahead of International Women’s Day
Procter & Gamble (P&G) has launched a campaign dubbed “#WeSeeEqual” to advocate for gender equality ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8.
The crux of the effort is a video that tears down stereotypes via footage of women and men defying traditional gender roles. For example, a clip of an older women bungee jumping is accompanied by the statement “fears don’t care who conquer them.” Clips from P&G brand campaigns are also scattered throughout the film, like the iconic “#LikeAGirl” effort for Always and Secret’s “Raise” spot that pushes for equal pay.
The campaign was spearheaded by Badger & Winters, the same agency that created the “#WomenNotObjects” initiative last year in an effort to end the objectification of women in advertising.
P&G’s effort comes as rival Unilever takes similar steps to position itself as a company that puts a premium on fighting for gender equality. Last year, Unilever announced its plans to purge female stereotypes from ads across the company’s more than 400 brands. Earlier this year, a Unilever-commissioned study of more than 9,000 men and women found that “outdated stereotypes and social norms are prohibiting positive change.”
A number of P&G brands have also been working in recent years to better portray women in advertising. According to P&G, 76% of consumers now consider “like a girl” to be a positive expression versus only 19% before Always’ “Like A Girl” campaign launched. The company also drew attention to the problems surrounding gender stereotypes in a powerful ad created by BBDO India for laundry detergent brand Ariel last year.