This International Women’s Day, our Creative Director, Katie Inglis, shares three women-centred campaigns that have shifted the dial (not a shade of pink or platitude in sight).

I won’t be the first person you’ve heard say today that IWD feels like it’s lost its potency. But as a woman, it does feel blasphemous to say that. If little else, IWD is an important vehicle for drawing focus to women’s issues and achievements. But we’ve all had enough of the cupcakes and token panel discussions.

So on this IWD we’re focusing our attention on our sphere of expertise – brand experience – to celebrate work that’s pushing conversations forward year-round. We’ve all seen the culture-shifting campaigns from brands like Dove and Nike and the amazing #runlikeagirl back in 2014. But we have rounded up some recent work you may not have seen; each using brand experience to move the needle on issues that matter to women – and impact us all. This International Women’s Day, our Creative Director, Katie Inglis, shares three women-centred campaigns that have shifted the dial (not a shade of pink or platitude in sight).

1. 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐱 𝐍𝐘𝐅𝐖, 𝐅𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 (Pop'N Creative): Every now and then you see a truly strategic partnership that really packs a punch. National Geographic and New York Fashion Week doesn’t feel like a natural pairing, but stick with me. To launch a new series about matriarchs in the animal kingdom, National Geographic held a runway show called ‘Fit for a Queen’. A fashion show for women by women. This fusion of fashion and storytelling celebrated the power of women, offering a fresh perspective on partnerships by centring women without feeling tokenistic.

2. 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 (LePub): There’s no doubt about it, womens sports, particularly soccer, is dominating. The ticket sales and viewership don’t lie. Heineken's activation stands out for its simplicity and experiential approach, using time lapse and a simple message to face the trolls head on. We’re loving seeing brands get behind women's sports. It’ll be exciting to see a rise around the Olympics this year.

3. 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦, 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 & 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 (AMV BBDO): One of the most baffling challenges still facing women today is the lack of research and funding into pain women experience. This is a beautiful execution that uses experiential storytelling, and immersive technology to share women's pain stories. By incorporating art and not just language, this experience allows womens to connect on a more personal level as they confront the #genderpaingap, fostering empathy and education through engaging digital experiences.