Why Always’ emotional campaign got 90 million views

Ladies, do you remember being a kid and being told ‘you run like a girl’ or ‘you hit like a girl’ or even just being told ‘you’re such a girl?’

Remember how fkn insulting it was, even though you were a girl? That’s because it’s meant to be an insult. And chances are, if you heard this growing up, it stuck with you.

Why?

Probably because it crushed your confidence, at a time of your life when your confidence was dropping faster than Tesla’s stock in 2024.

It’s an age-old phenomenon, the social divisiveness of gender.

And it's one that unfortunately harms girls’ perception of themselves. (Boys, too, just not in this example.)

When we go through puberty, we are learning what it means to be a girl. When we’re told being a girl is weak, slow, and an all round insult, it does a little damage each time we hear the phrase.

However, we know that gender stereotypes are bad. We know they affect the way we look at ourselves, male or female, and perpetuate harmful expectations and norms.

Which is why one brand decided to tackle this issue head-on and challenge those norms.

#LikeAGirl was a campaign launched by Always, a sanitary product brand, in 2014.

The campaign centred around one compelling insight: more than half of women claimed they experienced a decline in confidence during puberty. Hearing the phrase ‘like a girl’ as an insult was one of the factors that contributed to this.

The brand has been empowering girls globally for over 30 years. Always provides puberty and confidence education as a part of their brand mission.

But in 2013, they realized their purpose wasn't clear to their younger consumers.

So they launched #LikeAGirl.

The campaign consisted of a commercial in which a producer asked people of different ages and genders to perform various actions 'like a girl.' These included running, throwing, or fighting, 'like a girl.'

The result was a display of demeaning and exaggerated gestures. Of course, this demonstrated the low expectations society had for girls. Not only that, but it showed the impact of those words on girls themselves.

The second part of the video showed a second group of young girls who were asked the same question. However, their response was to perform the actions with confidence and strength. The video ends with a powerful statement, 'Why can’t "run like a girl" also mean "win the race"?'

It’s an incredibly moving piece.

In 3 minutes, it managed to piss me off about societal norms, make me incredibly sad for my younger self, and give me hope for the future generations. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster.

And it seems I wasn’t the only one to connect with the piece.

The video went viral, generating more than 90 million views across 150 countries. The campaign extended across TV, print, and influencer and celebrity events. It was a major success on all fronts.

More importantly, it sparked global conversation, with people sharing their stories and opinions using the hashtag #LikeAGirl.

What made this campaign connect with people on an emotional level?

Its aim was to reframe the meaning of “like a girl” from a negative stereotype to a positive affirmation. To empower young girls to use their gender as a source of pride and optimism through the use of emotional triggers.

The campaign succeeded because it focused on a universal truth, one that all women feel emotionally tied to. Leveraging this universal truth through the #LikeAGirl hashtag encouraged people to create UGC content of their own experiences. This amplified the brand's message and fostered engagement.

Sparking this important conversation also meant consumers could connect with the brand's values on a personal level.

Also, it was f***ing rad. But that’s just my humble opinion. 

-Sophie, Copywriter