The Female Empowerment Campaigns That Still Resonate – And What FMCG Brands Can Learn From Them

Launched in 2014, the #LikeAGirl campaign tackled the damaging cultural truth that, by the time girls reach puberty, the phrase “like a girl” is widely used as an insult – suggesting weakness, incompetence, or someone overly emotional.  Research ahead of the campaign revealed that confidence drops significantly during puberty, with 50% of girls reporting they feel paralysed by fear of failure at this stage. So, rather than focusing on product functionality, Always chose to address the emotional reality behind that statistic.

The brand created a social experiment that brought this language bias to life. Teenagers and adults – both male and female – were asked to perform actions “like a girl,” such as running, throwing or fighting. What followed were exaggerated, self-deprecating gestures that reflected society’s low expectations of girls.  Then younger, pre-pubescent girls were asked to do the same. They ran fast. They threw hard. They fought fiercely. Because for them, doing something “like a girl” meant doing it as well as they possibly could, with confidence and pride. The contrast powerfully highlighted that the issue wasn’t girls’ ability, it was the perception imposed on them. And the message of the campaign became ‘why can’t “run like a girl” also mean “win the race”?’

The video achieved over 90 million views globally in the early months and 4.4 billion media impressions. A reported 96% of viewers said the campaign changed their perception of the phrase “like a girl”, and there was a significant brand uplift and increased purchase intent among Always’ target demographic. More than a decade later, “like a girl” is widely recognised as a phrase reclaimed rather than ridiculed. There’s a lesson for FMCG brands in this. When your products connect to how people see themselves – as many everyday items do – you have both the opportunity if not responsibility to influence how that identity is understood.

When personal care giant, Dove, launched its Real Beauty platform in 2004, it challenged one of advertising’s longest-standing norms that beauty should be aspirational and unattainable. Grounded in research showing that only 2% of women globally described themselves as beautiful, Dove repositioned itself as an advocate for self-esteem.

From billboards featuring “real women” to viral films such as Real Beauty Sketches, the brand chose relatability over perfection – showing women on screen that other women could truly see themselves in, rather than unrealistic ideals to live up to.

Commercially, the strategy worked. Dove’s sales reportedly grew from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion in the decade following the launch of Real Beauty. But better than that, the platform is still here 20 years later – an almost unheard-of lifespan in modern marketing.

In 2019, Nike’s Dream Crazier campaign, narrated by Serena Williams – who has become a symbol of strength and unapologetic ambition on, and off, the court – confronted the double standards faced by women in sport.

Women who show emotion are labelled “dramatic”. Women who show ambition are labelled “crazy”.

The campaign reframed these criticisms as fuel for greatness, showcasing elite athletes who had been judged for breaking boundaries. Within days of launch, the film had generated tens of millions of views across social platforms and sparked a global conversation.

And, for brands watching on in appreciation, it’s a reminder that empowerment doesn’t always have to be soft-focus or sentimental. It can be bold, direct and culturally specific – providing it feels authentic to the brand and grounded in a real understanding of the audience.

What unites these campaigns is the way they connect with audiences on a deeper level. Each begins with a clear understanding of lived experience – the fears, the ambitions, and the societal pressures that shape perception and behaviour.  Grounded in authenticity, Always, Dove, and Nike all aligned their message with what they could genuinely support or influence, giving purpose credibility.  These campaigns pushed boundaries, questioned norms, and spoke up in ways that challenged audiences to think differently. And they are memorable – not because they shouted the loudest, but because they were understood.

There’s a lesson in these examples, emphasising the importance of paying close attention to the world your audience lives in, while understanding the pressures and influences – both seen and unseen – that shape how they think, feel, and make decisions about the products they use every day.

When insight is combined with courage, creativity blended with purpose, and authenticity with relevance, campaigns go beyond simple messaging. They create moments that stick, build trust, and foster lasting connections – even in categories that might seem routine or everyday.

These campaigns show that it’s possible to be brave and thoughtful at the same time – to push boundaries, challenge norms, and speak up in ways that resonate far beyond a single campaign, platform, or product.

 

Because the most memorable campaigns leave a mark on culture. And in FMCG, where products touch daily life, that kind of resonance can make all the difference