If a picture is worth a thousand words, Always, PG’s leading brand in global feminine care, is asking what emojis are really saying to the girls who interact with them. In the lead up to International Women’s Day, at a moment where female achievements are celebrated worldwide, Always takes a furhter step in the #LikeAGirl campaign and movement started off by the brand in 2014.
The campaign launched today is composed by a documentary signed by the award winning director Lucy Walker and an interactive social media action to ignite the conversation around the emoji issue through the #LikeAGirl hashtag.
Always encourages the girls all over the world taking a picture, shooting a video or tweeting with the #LikeAGirl hastag to inspire young girls everywhere and show them that anything and everything is possible.
The documentary is now hanging from PG’s Always You Tube Channel.
Launched in June 2014 PG’s Always #LikeAGirl campaign signed by the agency Leo Burnett Chicago, was inspired by the insight that the start of puberty and the first period mark the lowest moment in confidence for girls and how harmful words can add to that drop in confidence. Since then, the campaign has earned not only millions of followers around th world but a good crop of creative awards, including two Grands (PR and Interactive categories) at Eurobest 2014 and the PR Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 20015.
“Ever since we started our journey to stop the drop in confidence girls experience at puberty, we have been deepening our understanding of this critical stage. We know that girls, especially during puberty, try to fit in and are therefore easily influenced by society. In fact, we found that seven out of ten girls even felt that society limits them, by projecting what they should or should not do, or be. The girls in emojis only wear pink, are princesses or dancing bunnies, do their nails and their hair, and that’s about it. No other activities, no sports, no jobs… the realization is shocking,” said Michele Baeten, Associate Brand Director and lead Always #LikeAGirl leader at Procter & Gamble.
“Of course, societal limitations are broader than just emojis, but when we realized that stereotypical, limiting messages are hiding in places as innocent as emojis, it motivated us to demand change. Girls are downright amazing, and we won’t stop fighting all the limitations and knocks in confidence they experience at puberty until every girl feels unstoppable.”
The documentary video
As part of the ongoing Always #LikeAGirl mission to stop the drop in confidence girls experience at puberty, Always partnered with award-winning documentary filmmaker Lucy Walker of Pulse Films to find out if girls feel accurately represented by the emoji options available to them.
The latest #LikeAGirl video, launching today, highlights how girl emojis reinforce the societal limitations girls face every day. Real girls with a wide range of ages and backgrounds were asked about their experiences using emojis and if they felt accurately represented by the options available to show who they are and what they really do.
“Society has a tendency to send subtle messages that can limit girls to stereotypes. As someone who has studied sociolinguistics, I know the kind of impact even seemingly innocuous language choices can have on girls. It was so interesting to hear these girls talk about emojis and realize how the options available to them are subtly reinforcing the societal stereotypes and limitations they face every day,” said Walker. “I’ve been a fan of the #LikeAGirl campaign from the beginning and I’m excited to join Always in empowering girls to be confident and stay confident by helping rally for change in societal limitations, like those illustrated in emojis.”
Campaign suppoted by actual data
Data from the most recent Always Confidence & Puberty Survey show that more than half of girls surveyed (54%) feel that female emojis are stereotypical, and 75% of girls would like to see female emojis portrayed more progressively, including professional female emoji options, such female athletes or law enforcement officers.
Half of girls 16-24 years old find emojis to be a limited representation of females’ interests.
The 76% of girls surveyed believe they should not only be portrayed doing feminine activities such as getting their hair cut or manicures
Caption from the infographic sumarizing the outcomes of the Always Confidence & Puberty Survey. © Procter & Gamble Always.
A 67% of girls say that the available female emojis imply that girls are limited in what they can do.
As the first truly global language, emojis are relied upon in daily social communication, especially among girls, who send over a billion emojis every day. In fact the report shows that more than seven in ten (71%) of girls ages 16-24 use emojis multiple times a day and 82% use them on a daily basis.
Even Oxford Dictionaries’ declared ‘emojis’ the official word of 2015.
Image over the headline.- Caption from the Always #LikeAGirl-Girl Emojis (the documentary). © Procter & Gamble Always.
Related external links:
Always #LikeAGirl – Girl Emojis (the documentary)
Always Confidence & Puberty Survey (infographic)
Related Eastwindmarketing links (old platform):
P&G and Leo Burnett milk again the girl pride vein with “Unstoppable” video and more
Leo Burnett and P&G’s Always turn the “like a girl” deprecation into a viral hit motto for pride
