And with social conversation comes inevitable social change. Yet we still feel like we’re in the thick of it. We have an harasser (at best) in the White House, and our aunts and uncles defend him at every turn. Pastors get standing ovations when confessing about sexual assault to their congregations. The fallout from Harvey Weinstein still isn’t over (and James Franco is still an asshole), but our time is here. People are listening. Things are changing. It’s slow, but do you know how I know it’s happening?
Brands are involved. And when Brands are involved, that means they believe it is a cause important enough to invest money in. Because they can see profits.
That may sound pessimistic, like I’m a cranky old lady who can’t imagine any good being done in the world without corporate greed. But I’m not. I’m a cranky 30something who does marketing for a living and knows that when corporations get involved, the cause might actually make a difference. Or it might totally flop (hello Pepsi) and make the cause (or brand) a laughingstock.
And then sometimes the Brand does something beautiful and inspiring that makes you stand up at your standing desk (I keep ballet shoes under my desk for the occasion) and pump your fist in the air yelling:
I AM WO-MAN
Which is exactly what I did when watching this Shetopia Campaign:
Sally Hansen, the original self-made woman, had nothing to do with this campaign, of course, as she’s long gone. But the brand she founded did. And they did a great job. I found this campaign (that I missed from last Fall) because it features Claire Wasserman from Ladies Get Paid, a Philly-based company hosting an upcoming event I looked into attending. And I checked out EVERY woman featured in this campaign. Because they are inspiring. They are who I want to be and hope to become.
But make no mistake, a brand is behind this campaign. A brand owned by a public company (COTY) whose responsibility is to their shareholders and whose goal is PROFITS. And that can be a good thing. In the case of Sally Hansen, they created a great campaign. And hopefully it’s paired with: a great environment for working women, great benefits for moms, equal pay for men and women and many women in leadership roles at the corporation.
In the meantime, I’m gonna learn how to be my own version of these Self-Made women and be inspired by these 9. And maybe get a manicure because my nails look real bad right now. #IAmWoman
Have you seen any good/bad brands jump into the #MeToo #IamWoman Conversation?
*If you think think that about “us catty bitches” you’re at the wrong site.
