Always’ #LikeAGirl is back, and this time it's tackling girls’ ‘paralysing’ fear of failure
Sanitary brand Always has revived its critically acclaimed #LikeAGirl platform with a new advert that addresses the ‘paralysing’ fear of failure experienced by girls going through puberty.
#LikeAGirl returns
The P&G brand’s latest film features a diverse range of teenagers around the globe who are facing fears such as rehearsing for a play, revising for exams and playing in a football match.
A young girl who is facing her own fear of speaking in front of her class tells the viewer: “We’ll fail at many things – we’ll fail at many more – and that’s a good thing. Because failures aren’t set-backs. Failures are fuel to keep going, to keep growing, to keep making progress for ourselves and for all of us.
“So let’s keep failing, because we only truly fail when we don’t even try.”
The spot was directed by Lucy Luscombe. She recalled: “I was so inspired by the girls we met during filming. It is my goal that this video helps us all reframe how we think of setbacks and encourage everyone to inspire girls to see these experiences as a way to build their confidence and keep going.”
The ad has been released alongside new research the Always Confidence & Puberty Survey, the fifth study of its kind to be conducted. It found that more than half of girls lose confidence at puberty and 50% say they feel ‘paralysed by fear of failure’ during that time, so much so that 70% avoid trying new things because they are afraid to fail.
Michèle Baeten, Always’ associate director at Procter & Gamble, said: “Learning from the Always Confidence & Puberty Survey that one in two girls feel that if they fail society will reject them is heart-breaking and moreover alarming. Always will do all that we can to normalise and reframe failure as something that is not to be feared, but something that is crucial to growth and building confidence.
“Our goal is to create an environment where girls feel they have full support to try new things, make mistakes, and are encouraged to keep going.”
As part of the new #LikeAGirl chapter, the brand has enlisted actress Yara Shahidi to help empower girls and, through her own experiences, help them see that it is important to keep trying new things even if they’re afraid to fail.
Let's use our failures as fuel ⚡️Excited to partner with @always to help girls Keep Going #LikeAGirl. #ad pic.twitter.com/M23fUYj1g6
— Yara shahidi (@YaraShahidi) August 16, 2017
The overarching campaign, devised by Leo Burnett, has won numerous awards and critical acclaim since it launched in June 2014. Through its numerous iterations, #LikeAGirl aims to change the perception of the colloquially derogatory phrase ‘like a girl’, and frame it in a positive, confidence-building light.
