To mark International Women’s Day, the Clinton Foundation’s campaign, Not There, introduces the results of a 20-year global gender study in a compelling, pointed, and social way.
The campaign, crafted by Droga5, showcases familiar ads from global brands and media companies (including Unilever, H&M, Under Armor, and Snapchat) with women literally removed from their imagery, as well as a 90-second video featuring only the voices (not video) of celebrities including Sienna Miller, Cameron Diaz and Jenny Slate. Each campaign element prompts a larger cultural and social conversation, and most importantly, for viewers to get involved. The ads and video urge viewers to act daily and learn more through the Not There website, which also has the No Ceiling Full Participation Report available for download.
The campaign’s resonance can be attributed to three key factors: a meaningful (and timely) call to action, provocative messaging and creative work, and the power of partnerships. Rooted in an important, and somewhat unusual, perspective- what a world without women would look like – the ads shed new light on the gender equality debate in a memorable way oriented for reaction and action. The strength of the campaign, however, lays within its gathering of global brands.
Not There demonstrates the amplification effect that partnering up can have when brands rally together behind important social issues. By coming together, organizations are able to create and disseminate a larger message around important social and environmental issues than can be achieved individually. In turn, these partnerships prove to amplify one’s own brand story by working together to accelerate positive social change.
With such collaborative initiatives, choosing which campaigns to support or participate in is an important strategic decision to ensure acceptance, alignment, and advancement of your own brand story. Each brand participating in Not There has at their core, values and/or existing initiatives and commitments connecting to the advancement of gender equality. Further, these issues are also important to their consumer and stakeholder base.
A similar multi-brand effort, the #SheMakesIt collaboration from Nordstrom and Piece & Co. brings together 8 fashion and lifestyle brands and exclusive products made from artisanal fabrics made by women in the developing world. With the message of advancing sustainable employment for women, participating brands, which include Tory Burch, Diane Von Furstenberg and The Honest Company, are not only expanding the collaboration’s message across different consumer and stakeholder groups, but are also supporting a vision for greater impact on women’s empowerment.
The impact of a brand’s social storytelling strategies becomes ever more powerful through partnering with brands that are equally committed to leading business and social change. Through such strategic partnerships, leading brands of tomorrow recognize the importance and enduring value of favoring consumer action over short-term acquisition alone. Indeed, sometimes your brand is best served by working with others to create the change you want to see in the world, and to subsequently realize it even more quickly.
