Marketing and social change have always had a complicated relationship. Too often, brands use women’s issues as a convenient seasonal hook: patching together campaigns for International Women’s Day, or borrowing feminist rhetoric without real substance. But when done well, marketing can do more than sell — it can shape perception, shift norms, give voice, and spark ongoing action. In recent years, several campaigns around women’s issues have stood out precisely because they didn’t stop at messaging; they worked to embed the message, engage real lives, and build credibility.
Here are examples of campaigns that got it right — and what those who want to do the same can learn.
Key Case Studies
1. “This Girl Can” — UK / Sport England
- What the campaign is: A public‑health/social change campaign to get more women of all shapes, ages, abilities to be active and participate in sport. It’s not about elite athletes; it’s about everyday people — mothers, career‑women, retirees — just doing something, anything.
- What they did specifically: Employed ordinary women in the ads, often imperfect, catching them mid‑exercise, showing sweat, real bodies. Used multiple media channels: TV, social media, outdoor, print. Created a hashtag (#ThisGirlCan) to encourage women themselves to share their stories. Addressed real barriers: fear of judgement, lack of time, body image concerns.
- Results: Large reach and measurable behavior change. For example, quite a few more women started doing fifteen‑minutes or half‑an‑hour activity per week. The gender gap in exercise narrowed in some segments. Also won multiple awards, and its messaging stuck in public discourse.
Why it works: emotional truth + relatability + removing shame + validating effort (not perfection). Also the campaign felt woman‑led: not a male brand speaking about women, but inviting women to speak for themselves.
2. Dove’s “Real Beauty” / “Real Beauty Sketches”
- What the campaign is: Dove has long challenged conventional beauty standards by using real women instead of models, varying body types, ages, ethnicities, etc. The “Sketches” video asks women to describe themselves to a forensic sketch artist, then others do so, and the differences reveal self‑perception gaps.
- What they did specifically: cinematography, emotional story, no product push. The imagery avoids over‑glamorization; it allows women to see themselves reflected honestly. Also uses shareable video, high emotional content, with enough mystery to draw people in.
- Results: The campaign went viral, generated enormous media impressions globally; contributed to Dove being associated with body confidence, self‑esteem; boosted brand sentiment.
Why it works: It touches a universally felt insecurity, but in a way that isn’t preachy. It builds empathy. Also, it backtracks the messaging from “you’re beautiful as you are” to “you see yourself worse than others see you” — a reframing that opens reflection. It was also consistent over time: Dove didn’t drop the subject, it leaned into it repeatedly.
3. Always “Like a Girl”
- What the campaign is: Reclaiming the phrase “like a girl” — turning it from an insult (“you throw like a girl”) into something strong, proud. Always uses it to challenge stereotypes.
- What they did specifically: High production ad, but more importantly, research first: Always polled people to see what “like a girl” meant, how girls themselves felt. The ad shows young girls being confident, adults surprised by how they behave when asked “like a girl.” They then shift perceptions. Also propagated via social media, influencer partners, earned media.
- Results: Strong shifts in attitudes among target demographics; large viewership; the phrase becomes a talking point; the campaign becomes a reference in gender‑stereotype discussions.
Why it works: Because it takes something ordinary (a phrase people use every day) and shows its impact. It’s simple, emotional, and measurable (before/after). Also because it involved those directly affected: young girls, parents, teachers.
What Makes These Campaigns Effective — Beyond the Headline
From these examples, several shared traits emerge that distinguish mere “women’s issue marketing” from truly effective ones.
- Deep audience research & empathy
Campaigns that succeed usually begin with listening: what women feel, the language they use, what their barriers are. For example, “Like a Girl” didn’t start by choosing stock‑images; they asked what the phrase felt like to people. “This Girl Can” asked what stops women from exercising. Without that insight, campaigns can miss the mark or feel patronizing.
- Relatability over perfection
The creative execution tends to feature bodies, appearances, situations that are honest and imperfect: sweat, fatigue, struggle. This builds trust. If the image is too polished, people suspect “aspirational flagrant,” not “help me believe this applies to me.” Real stretch, real challenge, real wins.
- Multichannel & shareability
These are not only TV/print. They use social media, hashtags, UGC (user‑generated content), earned media, influencer partnerships. They design for sharing: short emotional films, relatable images, content that sparks conversations — not just commercials.
- Reframing norms, not just rejecting
Successful campaigns do not just say “existing norms are bad.” They reframe them: “Like a girl” becomes an affirmation; “Real Beauty” shows how self‑perception is flawed; “This Girl Can” reframes fear of judgement as universal. The shift is away from blame‑oriented messaging to empowerment and possibility.
- Consistency and follow‑through
One big advert is not enough. These brands keep returning to the issue over years, in different forms. They scale, deepen, test, iterate. They also back up with programs, community engagement, partnerships. E.g., Dove supports self‑esteem education, Always pushes into education/training. This builds credibility: the message is not just marketing, it’s part of identity.
- Measurable impact
Whether it’s attitudinal shifts, behavior changes, participation increases (in exercise or community involvement), social media metrics, press coverage — campaigns that set KPIs and track them tend to do better, refine over time, and achieve more. A brand can say it cares, but those that can show change win trust.
- Authenticity & integrity
If a brand talks about women’s issues but contradicts itself in its operations or product, people notice. So alignment between messaging and action matters: inclusive hiring, fair pay, product design that meets real women’s needs, etc. Otherwise, accusations of “cheap activism” or virtue‑signaling undermine the messaging.
Potential Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
Even well‑intentioned campaigns can misfire. Some of the risks (with examples):
- Tokenism: Using feminist language or women’s imagery for marketing without structural or meaningful internal action.
- Overgeneralizing: Assuming that “women” are a uniform group. Differences by age, culture, race, ability matter. What resonates for young urban womenmay miss older or rural or minority women.
- Performative activism: Doing something visible but superficial (e.g. limited‑edition product, donation, a hashtag), without ongoing commitment.
- Using shame or fear too much — guilt can get attention, but rarely sustains change. Also can alienate.
- Backlash when message and brand practice mismatch: e.g. if a brand promotes body positivity but heavily retouches its own images, or lacks inclusivity in sizing, etc.
Lessons for Brands That Want to Do It Right
Here are actionable pointers for brands or organizations that want their marketing on women’s issues to be effective, respectful, and credible.
- Start with listening & co‑creation
Include women from diverse backgrounds in campaign development. Use qualitative research (focus groups, interviews) to uncover real barriers or narratives. Co‑design messages.
- Choose a tight, precise message, not a generic theme
Better to pick one issue you can speak about meaningfully (e.g. women in sports; body image; menstrual health; workplace equality) than be “women’s empowerment” generally. Precision gives credibility and helps measurement.
- Design content for emotion + shareability
Emotional stories — micro‑moments — work. And content must be easily shareable: video, social reels, images, quotes, short soundbites. Often personal, sometimes humorous, sometimes raw — depending on tone.
- Embed action
Not just talk: provide resources, tools, support — whether educational, community programs, policy advocacy, product adjustments. If your campaign says “we support women returning to work,” back it up with hiring initiatives, flexible policies.
- Consistent presence
Don’t treat women’s issues as once‑a‑year or event‑tied. Keep the conversation alive. Revisit, pivot, build over time. Let trust accumulate.
- Measure both awareness & behavior
Track what people feel (surveys, sentiment) and what they do (signups, change in behavior, participation). Use data to refine, not just justify.
- Authenticity & alignment
From product, from workforce, from communication: ensure your internal culture reflects your external message. If you say inclusion, ensure diverse representation; if you talk body positivity, ensure your visuals and product sizes reflect that.
Example: Billie’s “Think of a Woman” Campaign
A more recent example (from intimate apparel / personal care) is the Billie brand’s “Think of a Woman” campaign, which pushes back against narrow ideals of womanhood: the “perfect woman” stereotype. Instead of trying to sell a razor or body wash, the ad asks viewers to imagine the “perfect woman” and then deconstruct that image: to challenge what we’ve internalized. The campaign includes interactive content (helping people recognize their unconscious biases), stretches in tone beyond body hair or grooming, toward overall gender norms.
Why this is interesting: it shows how a brand can expand its remit: from product messaging to cultural messaging. It also balances provocation (calling out societal ideas) with empathy, making people feel understood rather than shamed. It’s ambitious — and more risky — but it gains stronger emotional engagement.
Women’s issues in marketing are powerful, essential, but also delicate. When done well, they can move hearts, minds, and behavior. They can shift norms, build trust, and elevate brands beyond products. But done poorly, they risk sounding hollow, exploitative, or performative.
The best campaigns are rooted in listening, built with authenticity, designed to share, tied to real action, and repeated over time. With women’s issues, brands are not just telling stories — they’re helping shape futures.
In a world where many women still don’t see themselves reflected, believe in their own strength, or feel included in the narrative, marketing that does more than “sell” has the potential to push culture forward. And in that push forward, both society and conscientious brands can find their resonance.
