Last year, Leo Burnett released one of the most celebrated (and certainly one of the most watched, with over 56 million views on YouTube) spots of the year for Always with “Like A Girl.” That ad explored the drop in confidence girls face at puberty, along with the negative effects of the phrase “like a girl” when used as an insult, before redefining the phrase in a more positive light.
Now, in time for International Women’s Day this Sunday, the agency has revealed a follow-up that exclusively deals with the phrase’s new positive definition, entitled “Stronger Together.” The spot shows young girls around the world demonstrating some amazing skills in basketball, hockey horseback riding, martial arts, tennis, ice skating and more. Picking up where its predecessor left off, the spot is inspiring, continuing to turn the phrase into an expression of girl power. The spot ends by inviting viewers to “Share what you do #LikeAGirl,” making for a nice social extension which will make viewers feel included and may even lead to future content. Even if the new spot doesn’t reach the same viral success as the first (it won’t), it carries the same important message and expands on it with specific instances of the term’s redefinition that, especially coupled with the social initiative, can help make a positive impact for pubescent girls.
“The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Make It Happen,’ and that’s exactly what girls are doing by rewriting the meaning of #LikeAGirl,” Fama Francisco, global vice president of Always, told Adweek. “The new video celebrates amazing young girls around the globe and encourages everyone to continue the movement every day and everywhere, because together, we’re making #LikeAGirl mean amazing things.”