Hasta La Creative!

Created by W+K Amsterdam, these three integrated local campaigns were produced simultaneously under one key global objective – encouraging women and girls to leap over life’s obstacles and get active, regardless of societal, physical or cultural barriers. This one is targeted to the Russian market, and changes the lyrics of a classic song ‘What Our Boys Are Made of’, to what girls are made of. It’s a bit like taking the lyrics to “sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of…” and replacing the sugar with determination, ambition and power.

The most interesting thing about these three ads is how they do actually talk to the different cultures where women are discouraged from sports activities in various ways.

This one is for Russia, but I recognise there was a phase in my girlhood when “sugar and spice” was sung to tease the boys, because they were made of awful things like snigs and snails and puppy-dogs’ tails, and we were clearly superior because we knew how to eat without getting food all over our pastel dresses. Once kindergarten was over this was no longer a source of pride, but annoyance, everything girly was cute, weak and fragile – never dangerous, powerful or impressive.
While we could climb trees just as well as the boys, they grew taller, stronger and faster and many girls hang up their football shoes when this happens. This girl who sings about being powerful and determined is right at that age where frilly is just so tedious, and she could become anything she wants sports-wise, if she just hangs in there. For each note she sees succesful athletes in the wings, as both inspiration and illustration of what she sings. So hang in there, girl. You’ve got a lovely set of pipes but I bet you can also score a bunch of goals too.