Marketing Ad Council

Karlie Kloss teams with Ad Council’s ‘She Can Stem’ campaign on Pi Day

By Kyle O'Brien, Creative Works Editor

March 14, 2019 | 3 min read

Karlie Kloss may be the new host of Project Runway, but the model is putting on her science hat and teaming with The Ad Council's ‘She Can Stem’ campaign through her non-profit organization, Kode With Klossy, to show girls how exercising their minds – using science, technology, engineering and math (Stem) – is the first step to changing the world.

Karlie Kloss in She Can Stem PSA

In a new public service advertisement (PSA), launching to coincide with Pi Day (14 March), supermodel and entrepreneur Kloss teams up with a group of bold, confident young girls who exercise their skills through coding projects to help inspire self-confidence and creative thinking.

"When we create opportunities for girls to build, collaborate and re-imagine life as we know it, we create opportunities for them to change the world," said Lisa Sherman, president and chief executive of the Ad Council. "Kode With Klossy provides immersive coding experiences to girls across the country, and we're thrilled to partner with them to continue encouraging girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and math."

The PSA features Karlie Kloss and a team of Kode With Klossy scholars warming up for what appears to be an athletic event but turns out to be an epic coding session. We see Kode with Klossy scholars Kyara and Valeria setting up the database, Tallie handling network layering and Isabelle building out the front end.

The video stars several other Kode With Klossy alumni and future scholars, including Sammy, a Kode With Klossy alumna who developed an app that helps chronically ill children feel less alone; Alexis, another alum who started a digital magazine aimed at instilling confidence in young women; and Eleanor, a future Kode With Klossy scholar.

Kloss concludes the PSA by reminding viewers that when opportunities for girls are created to stretch their minds, they are given the confidence to change the world. She also invites audiences to learn more by visiting @SheCanStem on Instagram.

The video was produced by women-owned Goodstory films, with Rachel Fleit as the director. The production was also women-led, with an all-female cast. Brooklyn-based studio Please Space donated its space provided equipment.