Leo Burnett’s “Like A Girl” spot for Procter & Gamble’s brand Always, which redefined the phrase with a feminist spin, was one of the most viewed, discussed and highly-awarded ads released last year. This March, the agency released a follow-up spot for International Women’s Day showing girls’ impressive accomplishments and calling on viewers to submit what they do “Like A Girl” on social channels. Now the agency has revealed the true sequel to “Like A Girl” with the 2:30 online spot “Unstoppable.”
Like its predecessor, “Unstoppable” deals with the loss of confidence girls feel during puberty, accompanied by a sense of limitations imposed by gender stereotypes and expectations. It begins with the question “Do we limit girls?” appearing on screen, followed by “We asked them.” Interview subjects confirm that girls do in fact feel limited. The girls say they feel pressured to be happy, traditional, to avoid challenges, while one points out that boys are always the heroes who rescue someone in stories. After sharing the statistic that 72 percent of girls feels society limits them, they instruct the girls to write the limitations they shared on boxes, which the girls then attack. Unfortunately, Leo Burnett and Always didn’t honor one girl’s wish to blow up the boxes. The ad ends by calling on viewers to “Share how you are unstoppable #LikeAGirl.” While it doesn’t have quite the same impact as its predecessor, “Unstoppable” is still a fine sequel, exploring the same themes as “Like A Girl” and taking on societal gender stereotypes. It’s unlikely to reach quite the same level of virality as “Like A Girl,” but “Unstoppable” is already well on its way to being its own phenomenon, already racking up almost 2.5 million views on YouTube since its release yesterday.
Always also announced a partnership with TED to release confidence-boosting content for girls through the Ted-Ed educational platform. They also released a video by twelve-year-old filmmaker Zuriel Oduwole exploring the brand’s 30-year commitment to puberty education, which we’ve featured below.