Module 2 Assignment: #LikeAGirl Campaign

One of my favorite recent social media campaigns is #LikeAGirl from Always, a company that sells feminine products. In the original #LikeAGirl video, teenage girls and boys were asked to “run like a girl” and “throw like a girl.” Each teen “ran” delicately with arms flailing and threw limply with one arm. The same questions were then posed to 10 – 12 year old girls, who ran furiously and threw with all of their might. The video continues to state that a girl’s confidence plummets during puberty, and Always wants to change that. The campaign, which gained over 59 million YouTube views in just over a year, aims to erase the stigma behind the phrase “like a girl” and boost confidence in adolescent girls.

This video became so popular that an abbreviated version aired during the 2015 Super Bowl, which is where I first saw it. As a consumer of media, I tend to gauge the effectiveness of social media campaigns based on how deeply the message resonated with me. There are so many campaigns out there that it’s difficult to find one that can truly make a difference. However, the concept behind #LikeAGirl immediately struck a chord with me.

Like many young girls, I struggled with self-confidence issues during my adolescent and teenage years. I hadn’t realized that the negative connotation behind “like a girl” may have had a real impact on my own view of myself. According to the Always website, “72% of girls DO feel society limits them — especially during puberty — a time when their confidence totally plummets” (Always.com). I remember vividly participating in gym class, which is historically a time where boys and girls can clearly point out their differences as they grow. I remember the boys always taking gym so seriously and seeming to be so much more physically capable of performing the activities. I realize now that the difference wasn’t that boys were more physically adept; many girls were afraid of participating to their full potential because of their lower self-esteem and fear of looking foolish.

#LikeAGirl gives real accounts of young girls who haven’t reached this low point of self-esteem yet, which is so refreshing. These girls are confident and don’t yet see a difference between the abilities of boys and girls. Through the voices of these young girls, the campaign shows that society may have a lasting effect on girls’ perceptions of themselves, and that it is in our power to stop the negative stereotype before it affects another generation.

The campaign was also effective from a statistical standpoint. According to AdWeek, studies showed that after watching the video, “76 percent of girls ages 16-24 no longer see the phrase "like a girl" as an insult, and two out of three men who watched said they would stop or think twice before using "like a girl" as an insult” (AdWeek). In addition to the information on the Always website, the #LikeAGirl campaign and hashtag has a presence on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. On Instagram alone, the hashtag has almost 400,000 posts.  

The #LikeAGirl campaign not only raises awareness about a harmful stereotype, but also uses a visible platform to highlight a necessary message. Many young girls who are around the age of puberty begin to need feminine products, so Always is able to attract new (and potentially long-term) customers each day. Because these adolescent and teenage girls need to use these products, having a positive and empowering message along with the brand can only bring positivity. If #LikeAGirl can help young girls and women to have positive images of themselves and feel pride in being a girl, then men and women of all ages will follow suit and the stereotype will eventually be completely erased.

Works Referenced

1. Always. "Always #LikeAGirl." YouTube. Google, 26 June 2014. Web. 08 Sept. 2015.
2. Griner, David, and Roo Ciambriello. "Hugely Popular 'Like a Girl' Campaign From Always Will Return as a Super Bowl Ad." AdWeek. AdWeek, 29 Jan. 2015. Web. 08 Sept. 2015.
3. "Our Epic Battle #LikeAGirl." Always. Procter & Gamble, n.d. Web. 08 Sept. 2015.