International Women's Day is a time to reflect on the cultural, social and political achievements of women all across the world – a chance to spotlight underrepresented voices and celebrate the female frontrunners of change. For brands, it's a golden opportunity to show support, but creating a meaningful campaign is no mean feat – get the tone wrong and you'll end up going viral for all the wrong reasons.
Whether it's a poignant print ad or a bold billboard, the best Women's Day campaigns aren't about hopping on the bandwagon but capturing the spirit of the celebration to challenge perceptions and inspire future generations. These are just a handful of inspirational campaigns that nailed the brief (we won't talk about the wildly inappropriate International Women's Day campaigns that we'd rather forget).
01. Refuge
Created by London-based agency AMV BBDO, this poignant campaign for domestic abuse charity Refuge spotlights the sobering true stories of real victims. Using the striking visual of a red flag – a signal for toxic and dangerous behaviour – the campaign spotlights the different types of domestic abuse to raise awareness, centring on the message "no red flag is too small."
Taking place this year at London’s Outernet, visitors will be able to walk through the immersive display to feel the scale of the powerful campaign. Spreading a brave message to demystify the definition of domestic abuse, Refuge demonstrates how simple imagery can have a big impact, giving voices to those who have been silenced.
02. Double Standards
Created by Forsman London, this captivating campaign uses the power of language to disrupt gender stereotypes. Spotlighting the sexist rhetoric often used to describe women, the campaign's simple yet effective design showcases the unconscious bias to be found in our language to uncover their double standards.
The 360-degree campaign was rolled out globally across social media and OOH via posters and billboards. According to Forsman's case study, the poignant campaign made 1.9M impressions and garnered 20M views across online news platforms, demonstrating how using your creative voice can be a valuable asset for raising awareness and enacting positive change.
03. Progress Feels Like
Period brand Kotex embodies the spirit of International Women's Day with its inspirational 'Progress Feels Like' ad campaign. Highlighting how women are forced to become accustomed to pain, the ad showcases the strength of perseverance through multiple adversities from sexual assault to cultural boundaries.
Based on research that discovered "nearly 60% of women believe the speed of women’s progress is either stagnant or moving slowly," the 2024 campaign is a brave call to action. Rallying an inspirational spirit of momentum, the ad claims "Progress is more than one feeling," and throughout the discomfort, women can continue towards a fairer future because" we are the future."
04. Name Changer
Sometimes International Women's Day campaigns are about creating conversation on a smaller scale – something that Penguin Random House's Name Changer campaign expertly demonstrates. Replacing classic authors' names with their mother's maiden names, the playful campaign sparks interesting conversation around the dated convention of patriarchal name changes after marriage, giving recognition to the women behind some of literature's greatest writers.
Created by BAR Ogilvy, the experiential medium campaign launched in Portugal in March 2023. Oglivy even got in on the spirit, temporarily changing its name to BAR Fairfield, after David Ogilvy’s mother's maiden name, Dorothy Blew Fairfield.
05. Manterruptions
Channel 4's playful yet powerful 'Manterruptions' campaign captures the frustration of female voices being silenced by male interjection. Created in 2022, the punchy ad was inspired by research revealing that men interrupt women 33% more often than when they are talking to other men.
During the TV channel's mid-show announcements, female continuity announcers were interrupted by male colleagues throughout International Women's Day. The campaign also appeared across Channel 4's socials, showing frustrating interruption clips with the hashtag #LetHerFinish.
