Monday is International Women's Day, a moment that increasingly puts a telling spotlight on the marketing industry's ability to tackle the issue of gender equality.
While the day has been observed in various forms since the 1960s, I'd argue it's only been a high-profile marketing moment since 2017, when McCann and client State Street Global Advisors dropped a statue called Fearless Girl next to Wall Street.
Fearless Girl certainly sparked debate, with some critics arguing it infantilized feminism rather than truly celebrating powerful adult women, but it also generated global attention and acclaim.
In 2018, McDonald's followed suit, in a way, by flipping its iconic M logo into a W on International Women's Day. That one proved even more lingeringly polarizing, in part because the scope of the stunt (just one location) was so small, but also because it felt so intrinsically stunt-y.
Since then, there's been more of a microscope placed on how brands address this key day in Women's History Month. You might remember, for example, Shell rebranding to "She'll" last year—at one station.
My colleagues Jess Zafarris and Kathryn Lundstrom have been compiling this year's crop of campaigns around Women's History Month and International Women's Day. You can check out all the campaigns they've tallied so far here.
So which ones will resonate and which will spark some eyerolls? My hunch on the latter is Hershey's "HerSHEy" bars, of which only 1,000 will be given out at the company's headquarters. I'm not entirely sure of the intent, but the scope leaves something to be desired.
Check out the roundup of campaigns we know about so far and then I'd be fascinated to hear what you think. Which kinds of campaigns truly reflect a commitment to gender equality, and which kinds are just going through the motions?
Let me know at the email below or at @Griner on Twitter.
David Griner
International Editor, Adweek
[email protected]
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