Beer, Boeings, and #BecauseofHer

Digital marketers often struggle to plan unique campaigns for those special, annual observances we all love – like Women’s History Month- but it’s the chance for brands to get super creative. March was declared as Women’s History Month to celebrate and acknowledge the efforts of women worldwide. So how can we successfully join in on these kinds of conversations? Well, we can always find inspiration from other companies who are doing it right, who use compelling content to inspire and empower. From celebrating female artists to combating sexism, here are some of the ways brands celebrated women this month.

Budweiser

A study reported that only 61 percent of ads in the world portray women in a positive manner. Budweiser took this information and decided to recreate some of their own ads from the 50’s and 60’s. From a time when women weren’t typically portrayed in a powerful way, Budweiser recreated them for 2019 with more balanced and empowered roles. They partnered with #SeeHer, an organization led by the Association of National Advertisers, who have a mission to increase accurate portrayals of women and girls in U.S. advertising and media. Not only did they point a finger at the advertising industry, but at themselves with this clever campaign.
Budweiser Woman

Old copy: “The King’s credentials: The king of beers prints its ingredients right on the label. Know of any other beer that does?”

New Copy: “Home is where life happens. And life happens when you build it together.”

Budweiser Woman Ad

Old copy: “She found she married two men” “… think of all the planning that goes into meals to make him contented!…P.S. It’s a fact : Budweiser has delighted more husbands than any other brew ever known.”

New copy: “She found she has it all” “…she’s surrounded by those who embrace who she is, inside and out. And that’s all she really needs. P.S. It’s a fact : Budweiser can be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere.

HBO

With some of the most popular shows on their roster, from Game of Thrones to Big Little Lies, HBO has some seriously dynamic and powerful female characters. In honor of those women, they released the spot “Make a Little Trouble,” as part of their “Because of Her” campaign. The spot features a speech delivered by Nora Ephron to the all-women, Wellesley College graduates in 1996.
Reported in the Hollywood Reporter, during the 2014 to 2015 TV season, the DGA found that only 23 percent of HBO’s directors were not white men. But since then, that number has more than doubled and now 57 percent of its directors are men and women of color and white women. These findings are addressed in another spot from the campaign, which pulls a key scene from “Ballers” in which Dwayne Johnson’s character tells off another –yet a woman’s voice seems to be coming from his mouth. The camera pulls out to reveal Chloe Domont, one of the show’s directors, calling the shots from the edit suite, and then cuts to black with copy reading, “Stories come to life because of her”.

United Airlines

United Airlines took their creativity for Women’s History Month to a much larger scale, literally. To celebrate female artists, UA is giving two women the chance to create something to be placed on the sides of United Boeing 757 planes! According to research from The National Museum of Women in the Arts, while 51 percent of artists are female, less than 13 percent of art shown in museums is done by female artists. So, United created “Her Art Here” in partnership with Laundry Service and Cycle Media. Finalists and winners will also receive their own open gallery show, have their artwork on display inside UA terminals through 2019 with their works available to purchase, and will also be awarded 100,000 MileagePlus award miles.
Womens United Ad

It’s great to see companies and brands go above and beyond to support the under-represented. These campaigns worked so well because each company had a clear goal, a powerful message, and compelling content. You don’t have to be an international, “big money” brand to join in on the conversation, though. It’s easy to make a splash when you have millions of dollars, but what about everyone one else? Well, smaller businesses can make an impact too! Get inspired from these campaigns, and so many others out there, to create your own that’s tied to your business’s priorities.

What is one of the most versatile and cost-effective marketing tools out there? Social media! If you want to align your brand with a cause or big observance like Women’s History Month, Black History Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, etc., then really go for it on your social platforms. Your customers are on social media, so instead of having your audience come to you – go to your audience! Make a content calendar and schedule posts once a week or so, share employee stories on the topic, share quotes, or invite your audience and employees to donate to a respectable charity in honor of the observance. There are endless ways you can involve your business without spending a fortune… and one of the best things you can do for your business is to make diversity and inclusion a top priority.

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