Silver Anvil Analysis: Always “Like A Girl”  

Marina Karasik

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Situation

The phrase “like a girl” has traditionally been used as an insult and Always, a
prominent name brand for feminine hygiene products, wanted to change that. Always is
introduced to girls during puberty, a point where confidence in girls starts to drop,
studies have shown. The brand wanted to find a way to make this issue more widely
known, and do it in a way that is both thought- provoking and relevant to the lives of
everyday girls and women. Always was regarded as the global leader of the FemCare
(Feminine Care) category in 2013, but had fallen behind with millenials. Always had a
30-year commitment to improving puberty education which included a UN initiative, but
the brand was still talking about something boring: pads. (PRSA, 2015)

Always saw that there was ​S​trength in their brand being the leader in the
feminine care market for pads, but ​W​eakness in the fact that they were not reaching
millennials and making an emotional connection with them. the form of how we use
words to put women and girls down. They also saw this was an ​O​pportunity to fill in the
missing gaps in their consumer base, and insert themselves into a social movement
about women’s equality. Always had to overcome the ​T​hreat of seeming unoriginal in
comparison to campaigns like the Dove Real Beauty Campaign, which was launched in
2004 and employed a similar video interview tactic for their ads. Procter & Gamble, the
parent company of Always, decided to employ MSLGROUP to look into into the
influence of words on girl’s self- confidence. They chose to interview girls and women
about confidence and periods. Always decided to act on an opportunity to change the
way girls are portrayed and treated by their peers, and to change the perception of
female accomplishment. (PRSA, 2015)

Research

Procter & Gamble hired MSLGROUP to create a campaign that would each
young girls and help to raise awareness about the issue of confidence in women
dropping near puberty. MSLGROUP used Research Now to look into confidence
patterns in teen girls. The ​Always Confidence and Puberty Wave II​ study conducted

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with the Research Now Panel surveyed 1,300 American females aged 16- 24. Through
surveys, they found that 56% of girls claimed they had a drop in confidence at puberty,
and that lowest confident moments were when puberty started and when they got their
first period. They also found that 89% of females aged 16-24 agree that words can be
harmful to girls. Lastly, they found that only 19% of girls have a positive association with
the phrase “like a girl.” The research by Research Now also uncovered the following:

● Hispanic females were found to have the largest drop in confidence

around puberty, at 60%, while only 50% of African American girls had a
drop in confidence, both larger drops than Caucasian girls.
● Girls who experienced a drop in confidence explained that they started
puberty either before or after their friends had.
● Advice that most girls would give to their younger selves is “you’re not
alone” and “you’re not as awkward as you feel.”
● 57% of females think there’s a need for a movement to change the
meaning of the phrase “like a girl.”
● 81% of females said they would support Always in creating a movement to
change the meaning of “like a girl.” (Procter & Gamble, 2014)

Next, MSLGROUP used content analysis and looked as similar campaigns that
had been run in recent years. Engagement trends showed that clear articulation of key
points combined with authenticity and data to back up claims were all highly effective.
The goal of the campaign was to
make “Like A Girl” an empowering
message, not an insult. The program
would also have to touch on why “Like
A Girl” had been coined as an insult in
the first place. MSLGROUP used
primary quantitative research to find
the exact percentage of girls who had

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a drop in confidence and who felt words can be harmful. The group also used
quantitative research to look at other successful media campaigns and pin down which
key tactics were used to articulate the main message points of the campaigns. (PRSA,
2015)

The research done my MSLGROUP was able to shape the creation of the video
ad campaign that Always created in partnership with director Lauren Greenfield. The
statistics on confidence in girls dropping around puberty was the central idea in the
videos of girls being asked what “like a girl” meant to them. The filming showed that girls
between puberty and adulthood equate the phrase “like a girl” with weakness. The film
experiment also showed how small amounts of encouragement for girls can make a
large change in the way they perceive themselves. The research done before he filming
began shaped a bulk of the campaign, as it was the central idea of the experiment. The
research and filming were effective as evident in the positivity scores for social media
being above 90%. (PRSA, 2015)

Aside from the research done by Research Now for MSLGROUP, there is also a
great deal of additional research on confidence in teenage girls. A 2014 article from The
Atlantic, written by ABC News reporter Claire Shipman and BBC World News America
anchor Katty Kay, explains the brain chemistry behind confidence in young girls.
According to research, it all starts in the elementary classroom. Girls are much better at
staying still and focusing for long periods of time. Girls are not encouraged to take risks
of be rambunctious like boys are. Carol Dweck, a professor of Psychology at Stanford,
explains that ​girls ​tend to see their mistakes as a lack of competence, whereas boys
see them as a lack of effort. The article goes on to explain the direct link between sports
and confidence, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as saying that
girls are “six times as likely as boys to drop off sports teams.” The reason for this being
the decrease in confidence around adolescence. There’s a cycle: girls lose confidence
and quite competing, and then lose any chance of regaining that confidence. They

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graduate school and go on to work in a world that doesn’t reward them for being “good
girls” and they lose even more confidence. (Kay & Shipman, 2014)

Given the specificity of the research question at hand, I would say MSLGROUP
did a good amount of research on the conceptions of the phrase “like a girl”. The overall
purpose of the research was to relate a drop in confidence to puberty, which is directly
related to menstruation. The research did a good job of shaping the way the project was
put together and helping audiences understand the impact of the words “like a girl” can
have on girl’s confidence when it is used as an insult. Judging from the data gathered,
MSLGROUP most likely conducted an environmental scan of Always and looked into its
consumer base, engagement and trust levels with the public.

Planning

For this campaign, the overall goal was to change the interpretation of “like a
girl” and to change the language used to describe women. This was an explicit goal
from the beginning, as the brand wanted to make a campaign to empower women. One
of the objectives was to get both girls and boys to stop using the phrase “like a girl” as a
synonym for weakness, vanity and inability. The strategy for this was to as boys and
girls to demonstrate what it meant to do something “like a girl” and ask them to explain
their actions. In particular, one young boy was asked if he felt like he was insulting his
sister, and he pointed out what he did was mean to girls, but not his sister. The
message send by the short films and ads was that young girls are far less likely to take
the phrase “like a girl” as an insult, as evidenced by their reactions to being asked to do
something “like a girl.” (PRSA, 2015)

Always wanted to create an emotional connection with the brand and built brand
loyalty and they chose to do it by empowering their target market: girls and women age
13-34. The short films and advertisements (directed by Lauren Greenfield) were a type
of social experiment, capturing how different ages interpret the phrase “like a girl.” The
objectives set forth by Always were specific in that they asked to redefine the use of a
specific phrase, but they were not necessarily measurable, as impact and change in

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overall perceptions of women and feminity is something that is much harder to scale.
(PRSA, 2015)

One of the objectives set forth by MSLGROUP was to get 2 million video views
and 250 media impressions, which is a specific, measurable and attainable objective.
The PRSA report for this campaign does not specify which social media platform the
media impressions were supposed to come from, however. The objectives were
relevant, as the key piece of the campaign was a video, and videos are viewed on
YouTube. For timeliness, no specific time frame was specified. (PRSA, 2015)

The main strategy for this campaign was to create a video that would change the
way people think about using the phrase “like a girl.” The video was an extension of the
research done by Research Now. The placement on these video ads on YouTUbe
helped to drive views and shares, which was derived from the objectives set forth by
MSLGROUP. The overall idea (goal) was to engage millennial women in a conversation
about feminist issues. This campaign connected with the key demographic, since brand
research showed that after the campaign “81% of women 16-24 support Always in
creating a movement to reclaim “like a girl” as a positive and inspiring statement”
(PRSA, 2015). In this case, publics were organized by who the consumer base for
Always is, which is girls and women ages 13- 34. Age 13 is around the time when girls
start to use pads and other menstrual products, and 35 is the edge of the millennial
generation. Messages were captivation and able to connect with audiences emotions as
well as the modern feminist movement. Additionally, Always worked with award-winning
documentarian and director Lauren Greenfield to direct a video featuring various people
reacting to the phrase “like a girl.” Otherwise, the videos and ads features everyday
teenage girls, making the campaign more relatable. (PRSA, 2015)

Implementation

The program was creative and very candid, since the children’s answers in the
advertisements were completely unscripted. This gave much more authenticity to the
brand than a scripted advertisement would. Additionally, children are known for being

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overly honest, which also worked in the brands favor. Additionally, the short films and
advertisements were well done and well- placed, since they were fun during the Super
Bowl. The Super Bowl is a major sporting event that seldom features women, and airing
a commercial that addresses this issue during such a huge event was a great move on
the brand’s part.

The fact that the ad was aired

during the Superbowl forced it to be
seen by millions of viewers made this
campaign very high- reach. The main
channels were on YouTube, where
the original video got 76 million total
global views in 150 countries and
over one million people shared the
video. Additionally, The #LikeAGirl
series of films and advertisements
were a central part of the campaign.
Films featured interviewers asking young girls what doing something “like a girl” meant
to them, and recording their responses. They asked boys, young women and young
men what doing something “like a girl” meant, to which they responded with running and
throwing in a weak and girly fashion. The film then asked young girls what they thought
doing something “like a girl” meant, to which they responded by giving their all. One girl
responded that running “like a girl” means “run as fast as you can.” The point of the
video is to show that young girls, those who have yet to hit puberty, are often more
confident than young women. This is partially because they haven’t been exposed to
sexist remarks and insults about being girls, but also because they haven’t experienced
the hormonal changes that happen during puberty, which can cause them to feel
awkward in their developing bodies. (PRSA, 2015)

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 The high- impact component came with the partnership between Always and
Walmart called the “50 Teams, 50 States” Program in 2016. The program was made to
provide girl’s sports teams in 50 states with resources like new uniforms, facilities and
equipment. The program is part of the Always Keep Playing movement, which aims to
keep girls confident by encouraging them to play sports, and keep playing #LikeAGirl.
(Procter & Gamble, 2017)

Evaluation/ Results

The campaign was greatly successful overall and surpassed the goals that
MSLGROUP set. The results were determined by virality and how many views, likes
and shared the videos had earned as well as how many times the #likeagirl hashtag
was used. While it is difficult to measure a change in behavior, MSLGROUP was able to
find that the output for the campaign was significant. As previously mentioned, it was
found that “81% of women 16-24 support Always in creating a movement to reclaim “like
a girl” as a positive and inspiring statement” (PRSA, 2015). The evaluation came from a
combination of vanity and psychographic metrics, used to determine not only the
volume of virality but also the feelings and connotations associated with the campaign.
MSLGROUP gathered the following statistics about engagement and virality after the
campaign:

● 1 million+ people shared the video and 35,000 commented (user-generated

content was 13%)

● The program achieved 4.5 billion impressions around the globe, including

○ 1.7 billion in the U.S.

○ 1.6 billion in the UK

○ 418 million in France

○ 302 million in China

○ 148 million in Germany

○ 63 million in Brazil

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 ○ 41 million in Mexico

○ 32 million in Turkey

● There were more than 1,880+ earned media placements around the world
including:

○ A TV segment with #1 U.S. morning show GMA that resulted in a Yahoo

posting #1 spot for AdWeek's "Top 5 Commercials of the Week" for June
20-27

○ #2 Spot for Ad Age's Viral Chart on 7/1 Coverage on top influential media
sites including BBC, Huffington Post, NYMag.com, Mashable, BuzzFeed &
TIME

● The campaign resulted in over 290 million social impressions and 133 thousand
social mentions with #LikeAGirl (99% positive/neutral) in the US alone

● #LikeAGirl trended on Facebook from 6/30-7/1 and increased Always Twitter

followers by 195.3%” (PRSA, 2015)
My Perspective

Based on what I know about PR, I’d say that it often helps organizations to
involve themselves in a larger issue. “For example, the Audi #DriveProgress campaign
tackled gender inequality while still marketing a product. The emotional attachment
made to the commercial is then associated with the product, forcing consumers to then
associate the product with those feelings. Additionally, there is research on how
marketing a social movement can make advertisements stick, especially with the
younger generation. An article from Forbes says that “...​unlike 99.9% of brand
marketing, joining a movement makes your message unavoidable and unforgettable. As
the U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 recently discovered, 60% of 16- to 24-year-olds claim to
notice ads more if they deal with important issues.” (Townsend, 2018) The article
touches on the recent Nike ads with Colin Kaepernick, and how taking a stance on
certain issues can be quite risky, but not if it’s done right.

It’s also better for brands to practice what they preach, such as when Barbie
came out with diverse body types for its dolls and Adidas started making their shoes
from recycled plastic. Audiences generally do not want to listen to a brand that only

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says​ that it cares. ​(Townsend, 2018) ​This is why the programs that have since been
started by the #LikeAGirl movement are so important, and why Always keeps on giving.
The “50 Teams, 50 States” Program is just one of the few programs that Always has
created to help keep girls confident. Another more recent program launched in 2018,
when Always announced it would partner with Walmart again and give $250,000 to
support the Girl Scouts in pursuit of STEM in order to get more women into STEM
careers in the long run. (Procter & Gamble, 2018)

In my opinion, the reason this campaign was so effective is partially because it

tackled a much larger issue, but also because it was so honest and so candid. Children,
as mentioned, are very honest. It also helped that the research was directly linked to the
advertisements and videos that were made, and the fact that they were unscripted gives
them even more authenticity and emotional appeal. Having real young adults, real
children and real teenagers, not actors, express their feelings gives the brand a lot of
clout.

The phrase “like a girl” has been used to put down women for decades now, and
has created a culture of equating femininity with weakness and inability. Tackling this
one phrase means tackling all the issues that go along with it and could potentially lead
to conversations about other women’s issues such as the wage gap, discrimination in
sports and issues within the healthcare system. Maybe this is why The Holmes Report
called it “The Best PR Campaign in The World” back in 2015. It joins more recent
movements like #MeToo and #DriveProgress in a world where social justice is a selling
point and users are eager to make change. This campaign is now over five years old,
but the message is still relevant and still very much needed in 2019, and probably for
years to come.

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 Sources

Always #LikeAGirl Named Best PR Campaign In The World. (2015, October 29).

Retrieved from

https://www.holmesreport.com/latest/article/always-likeagirl-named-best-pr-camp

aign-in-the-world

Always #LikeAGirl: Turning an Insult Into a Confidence Movement​. (2015). New York,

NY: Public Relations Society of America. Retrieved from

http://apps.prsa.org/SearchResults/download/6BW-1501A2039/0/Always_LikeAG

irl_Turning_an_Insult_Into_a_Confiden

Kay, K., & Shipman, A. (2015, August 26). The Confidence Gap. Retrieved from

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/05/the-confidence-gap/3598

15/

Procter & Gamble. (2014). ​New Social Experiment by Always® Reveals Harmful Impact
Commonly Used Phrase has on Girls [​ Press release]. Retrieved from
https://news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporate-announcements/new-social-exp
eriment-always-reveals-harmful-impact-commonl

Procter & Gamble. (2017). ​Always® and Walmart Support Girls in Sports with “50
Teams, 50 States” Program ​[Press release]. Retrieved from
https://news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporate-announcements/always-and-wal
mart-support-girls-sports-50-teams-50-states-

Procter & Gamble. (2018). ​Always® #LikeAGirl and Walmart Team up to Support Girl
Scouts and Encourage Girls to Stick with STEM [​ Press release]. Retrieved from

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 https://news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporate-announcements/always-likeagirl
-and-walmart-team-support-girl-scouts-and-e

Townsend, S. (2018, September 07). How Brands Can Serve Social Movements.

Retrieved from

https://www.forbes.com/sites/solitairetownsend/2018/09/06/how-to-make-a-move

ment/#7b2220197eea

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