Throwback Thursday: Girl Power, Brands and Femvertising

Girl Power, #HeForShe, Femvertising… Twenty years ago, these phrases weren’t even created, now their common among conversations (at least those about gender). Finally, the world seems to realize the innate and immense power women carry. From Academy Award speeches to simple hashtags, gender equality remains a hot topic. The movement is so widespread that brands more and more frequently tailor ads to the female demographic featuring strong women and empowering messages.

Girl power ads not only make a difference in how women feel about themselves but also in company profits. Femvertising, ads that celebrate women rather than objectify them, are tremendously popular. Over 50 percent of women admit to buying a product because they liked how the marketer and the ads were presented to women. With International Women’s Day taking place this Sunday, let’s look back at how some brands have worked to empower women for this Throwback Thursday.

Dove

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk

Dove has been leading the pro-women pack since 2004 when it launched its Real Beauty campaign. It kick started the conversation about the need for a wider definition of beauty. Dove’s approach has proved wildly successful with its sales jumping from $2.5 billion to $4 billion after the launch. The beauty brand has since partnered with other organizations to start the Movement for Self-Esteem.

Nike

In 2008, Nike, the shoe and apparel giant, launched the Girl Effect project. The movement involves using the potential of adolescent girls to end poverty for themselves, their families, their communities, their countries and the world. Nike’s goal is to change their social and economic dynamics by providing girls with powerful and relevant resources. Not only has Nike helped support 500,000 girls around the world, it has also seen an increase of 15 percent in quarterly revenue due in part to its efforts.

CoverGirl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmmGClZb8Mg

Easy Breezy Beautiful CoverGirl announced last year that it would be donating $5 million over the next five years dedicated to the advancement of women and girls. Among the first recipients were Girls Who Code, who received $500,000 to increase its computer science programs, and The Starfish Foundation, which received $200,000 to expand its Career Readiness curriculum. With the support of numerous celebrities, CoverGirl is encouraging young girls to break boundaries and turn the word “can’t” into “can.”

For a long time feminism has seemed like a “dirty word” but this negative stereotype is fading and companies are cashing-in. Women know when a campaign is portraying their gender positively and women are responding to this type of advertising (45 percent say they have shared a pro-female ad with someone else). By featuring strong women, brands show their female consumers they not only understand them but respect them. Almost 50 percent of women admitted to following a marketer on social media just because they liked its messages. With brands sending out pro-women messages, why would any women choose to buy from a brand that they feel doesn’t respect them?

Cover Photo Source:  James J. Flanigan

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://wpmaster.sjadv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Our-Space-The-San-Jose-Group.png[/author_image] [author_info]Jestelle is a junior executive at SJG. She is currently working toward obtaining a BA in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Marketing from Loyola University Chicago. Outside the office, Jestelle is an avid tea drinker and devoted Netflix watcher.[/author_info] [/author]