McCann Worldgroup’s m:united launched an International Women’s Day effort for Microsoft highlighting the accomplishments of female inventors.
The spot, entitled “What Are You Going to Make?” begins by asking science-loving girls to name some inventors. They name the usual suspects: Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci and the like. When they are asked to name women inventors in a follow up question, however, the girls are stumped. Despite the accomplishments of such women, they aren’t usually names you hear in school. But Microsoft informs the girls, and viewers, that “Not everything is ‘man’ made.” Their list of women inventors includes Tabitha Babbitt (the circular saw), Marth Coston (signal flares), Patricia Bath (laser cataract surgery), Sarah Mather (underwater telescope) and Ada Lovelace, inventor of the first computer algorithm, among others. After informing the girls, who are glad to learn that so many women invented important things, m:united ends by asking the girls interviewed and viewers alike, “What are you going to make?” followed by the Microsoft logo. It’s a nice effort, eschewing any hard sale from the brand in place of a celebration of women inventors past, present and future. The campaign also features a series of shorter online videos focusing on specific women inventors and a social media component.
“There are a lot of amazing things that have been made, and continue to be made, by women,” m:united group creative director Susan Young told Adweek. “And if you study STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math], you can make anything. We want girls to know that they can make anything.”
Credits:
Client: Microsoft
Agency: m:united
Co-Chief Creative Officers: Sean Bryan, Thomas Murphy
Group Creative Directors: Susan Young, Daniela Vojta
Copywriter: Sarah Menacho
Senior Art Director: Trinh Pham
Designer: Kelly Kim
Head of Integrated Production: Aaron Kovan
Senior Producer: Meg McCarthy
Producer: Rebecca Magner
Digital Credits
SVP, Group Creative Director: Roberto Santellana
UX Director: Daniel Schultze
Designer: Jaeeun Chung
UX Specialist: Flora Kwong
Interactive Producer: Sean Flannigan
President m:united: John Dunleavy
Managing Director: Kevin Nelson
Account: Tina Galley, Jason Kolinsky, Rosemary Calderone, Courtney LeBlanc, Sarah Livingston
Global Strategy Director: Michelle Kiely
Strategy: Todd Sussman, Eldad Heilweil, Priyanka Nigam, Courtney Bernstein, Ryan Duffy
Project Management: Stella Warkman, Kristen Lillis, Vinny Tran
Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Nanette Burstein
Executive Producer: Nancy Hacohen
Producer: Julianne Maloney
Postproduction
Union Editorial
Editor: Sloane Klevin
EP: Caryn Maclean
Producer: Lauren Hafner Addison
Flame: Kirk Balden
Graphics Producer: Yoko Lytle
Graphics Creative Director: Chris Bialkowski
Graphics Artist: Eric Dalimarta
Mix: Cory Melious @ Heard City
Transfer: Jaime O’Bradovich @ Company 3
Music: JSM Music
Chief Creative Officer/Composer: Joel Simon
Executive Producer: Jeff Fiorello
Producer: Norm Felker
Asche & Spencer