For a single day last week, brands introduced hashtags, campaign stunts and even flash sales all in the name of female empowerment. Some even flipped their logos. All for International Women’s Day.

But what about those who are working more of a long game?

The Canadian Woman’s Foundation paired with Havas Canada to launch a campaign that shows how important it is to look both back and forward when it comes to empowering women and girls.

The new GirlPowered MentorClips campaign, which is hosted on Instagram, looks back at how some of Canada’s most inspiring women – astronaut Roberta Bondar, Olympic basketball player Lizanne Murphy and OCAD dean Dori Tunstall – dealt with challenges in their early lives. The women talk about insecurities, finding outlets for their energy, discovering their passion and more, all with an aim to empower future generations.

The Instagram videos are self-shot and minimally edited for a more conversational, personal feel. The campaign is also being supported with donated OOH advertising, print and digital promotion, as well as with a TV spot featuring a longer interview with Bondar.

Last year’s GirlPowered campaign aimed to flip the narrative on female-targeted advertising by giving young girls a chance to broadcast their own message instead. Cory Eisentraut, VP and creative director at Havas Canada, said the campaign was “filled with so much positivity” that the agency wanted to build on it while trying something different.

Besides the personal stories from the mentors, many of the print ads also lampoon common social media trends. For example, one print ad features Snapchat’s standard disappearing post format, and reads, “Grab inspiration that won’t disappear.” Another features a typical text screenshot with a “read receipt,” where the message reads “Message you won’t ignore.”

Credits

Client: Canadian Woman’s Foundation
Agency: Havas Canada