WACL rolls out first advertising campaign ‘#RepresentMe’
Pro-bono advertising space has been dedicated to the campaign.
WACL has launched its first TV advertising campaign “#RepresentMe” to champion the power of positive representation in advertising.
Marking 100 years of WACL, the campaign features a series of young girls watchings ads, while a voiceover affirms the different ways in which advertising can change their lives.
“This girl won’t be embarrassed when her period arrives” and “this girl will fall in love with her natural hair”, a voiceover says.
The TV ad will run across ITV, Channel 4 and Sky with media spend donated by the broadcasters.
Running across print and out of home, the campaign will also feature in The Guardian and Metro, as well as on Global Outdoor and Clear Channel sites
The campaign was a collective effort from different advertising bodies. ITV’s head of creative, Vineet Raheja, was the creative director for the TV ad, while British Heart Foundation’s head of creative, Helen Arnold, was the creative director for print, out of home and digital.
The agency producer was Joe Revens, senior creative producer at Saatchi & Saatchi, and media planning and buying was done by Wavemaker.
Claire Sadler, WACL 100 campaign lead and chief marketing and fundraising officer at British Heart Foundation, said: “As a WACL member you walk in the footsteps of the trailblazing women who came before us, and for our 100th year we wanted to build on the change they created.
“We wanted to recognise the role and influence we have in championing positive representation of women in advertising, and look ahead to amplify the voices of the next generation of women and girls to make sure advertising is fit for their future.”
WACL is also conducting focus groups of women and young girls, visiting schools such as Kensington Aldridge Academy in London. The vast majority, WACL found, are concerned about how advertising affects societal treatment of women, especially by men.
Currently, the association is led by Rania Robinson, chief executive of Quiet Storm. It’s the second campaign of 2023 for WACL, which is currently campaigning for 50% of chief executive roles in the ad and communications industry to be filled by women.
This article was first published in Campaign on May 26th, 2023
Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen
Thanks Campaign for writing about our #RepresentMe initiative.
And thanks to a lot of people who helped me make this happen… Helen Arnold Vineet Raheja Trevor Mccormick Joe Revens Iona Shankland Emma Dibben Lori Meakin Kate Waters Katie Lee Rania Robinson Carol Reay and Nishma Robb all of whom have done this for WACL in our ‘spare time’!
Thank you to our partners DOVE, Inc. Emily Galazka Alix Colin and media partners for their generous support ITV Channel 4 Sky Clear Channel Outdoor Ocean Outdoor Global Outdoor Services Open Outdoor Blis Yahoo Advertising Hawk Advertising &Communications MiQ The Guardian Metro.
Watch the ad here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-DYwwFIbvQ
About the author
The Others & Me; Author of No More Menemies