Female Role Models Empower Young Girls to Pursue STEM Careers in Latest Ad Council Campaign

In November 2017, the U.S. Department of Commerce released a report that examined the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce. Per their findings, women only occupied 25 percent of STEM jobs. Furthermore, women who earned college degrees in STEM were less likely to pursue work in their field, opting for work in education or healthcare instead. This information, though dismal, is not surprising when you consider that girls and women are more likely to maintain an interest in STEM careers when they have female role models within the field to look to—which, of course, is impacted when the visibility of women in STEM is barely there. Understanding that representation undoubtedly matters, the Ad Council has partnered with GE, Google, IBM, Microsoft and Verizon, to launch “She Can STEM” a campaign geared toward the encouragement of young girls to engage their interests in related careers. “She Can STEM” features a trio of 30-second ads, each showing a group of young girls shadowing a female professional in three completely different areas STEM: Bonnie Ross, Head of Microsoft’s Halo Games Studio, astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz, and Tiera Fletcher, structural analysis engineer at Boeing. [kickout id="1"] [kickout id="2"] [kickout id="3"] What makes this campaign so striking is the lack of added flash that you may expect from such a subject. We get to see young girls mentored and seriously encouraged to become astronauts, scientists, and video game designers. This is more about the message and the spots created by McCann reflect a straightforward concept: when it comes to inspiring young women to go after careers in male-dominated fields, showing is way better than telling. “When girls don’t feel encouraged and empowered in STEM, we see serious consequences not only for girls and women but also for the future of innovation in our country,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “If we want women at the forefront of the next generation of STEM leaders, we must show young girls that it is possible. If they can see it, they can be it.” “So many young girls show an interest in math and science at a young age, but aren’t encouraged to pursue it and turn it into what could be an incredibly interesting and rewarding career,” added Karen Horting, executive director and CEO of the Society of Women Engineers. “We need to change the perception of what an engineer or technologist looks like and inspire girls to explore these amazing career opportunities further.” “She Can STEM” will run via digital, broadcast, and printed platforms for at least a year, and can also be found on its own dedicated social media channels on Instagram and YouTube. CREDITS: The Ad Council Head of Campaign Development: Michelle Hillman VP, Group Campaign Director: Rowena Patrick Campaign Manager: Mary Zost Assistant Campaign Manager: Monica Hunter Mccann Erickson Chief Creative Officer: Sean Bryan EVP Global Creative Director: Pierre Lipton SVP Group Creative Director: Holly Hessler Associate Creative Director: Lucas Crigler Associate Creative Director: Hope Nardini Designer: Jordan Nerison Designer: Christina Hillman Digital Producer: Sean Flanigan Senior Art Director: Mila Mitova Copywriter: Elina Rudkovskaya Designer: Yung Lee SVP, Head of Integrated Production: Carolyn Johnson Producer: Rebecca Magner Senior Art Producer: Kelly Ramsey Managing Director: Kevin Nelson EVP Executive Account Director: Tina Galley SVP Group Account Director: Rosemary Calderone Account Director: Vincent Scicchitano Account Supervisor: Elvia Ortiz Account Executive: Jamile Ramirez SVP, Director of Project Management: Stella Warkman Senior Project Management: Vinny Tran Hungry Man Director : Nanette Burstein Managing Partner/Executive Producer: Kevin Byrne Producer/Director of Sales: Dan Duffy Executive Producer: Mine Jarjoura Producer: Julianne Maloney Editorial House: Union Editorial NY Editors: Sloane Klevin, Christopher Huth, Ryan Stacom, Adriana Machado Executive Producer: Caryn Maclean Post Producer: Lauren Hafner Sheehan Flame Artist: Kirk Balden Color House: Color Collective Colorist: Alex Bickle Supervision Agency/Stills Lauren Dukoff: Photographer Agent : Drew Schufman Digital Tech: James Russell Goethals Hair/Makeup Artist: Wendy Karcher Photo Assistant: Oscar Cruz Photo Assistant: Bryan Beight Audio Post: Sonic Union Mix Engineer: Brian Goodheart Music by: Position Music and Score a Score