07/23/2017
FEARLESS GIRL FACES DOWN CHARGING BULL
An investment firm called State Street Global Advisors briefed McCann NY to promote one of its index funds – the one differentiated by carrying companies that have a higher percentage of women in senior leadership. Sounds pretty “ho hum” right? Wrong. That brief was turned into one of the most honored campaigns in the history of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, winning a total number of 18 Lions and four Grand Prix distinctions in 2017.
If greater gender diversity is the differentiation, what’s the relevance? Well the key insight is that companies with more women in leadership positions enjoy stronger financial performance plus significantly less bribery, corruption and fraud. So, the purpose of creating greater gender diversity by putting more women on more boards becomes very meaningful indeed. More money, less mischief; to put it mildly.
The headline in this campaign writes itself and is, in and of itself, hardly worthy of a Lion, never mind 18. It simply says:
“Know the power of women in leadership. SHE makes a difference”.
Pretty straightforward. Until you wonder why “SHE” is in caps and if you’re inquisitive, you’ll find out that “SHE” is the ticker name for State Street’s SPDR Gender Diversity Index. So, a little cunning perhaps girls?
Now the headline doesn’t of course sit on top of a page but rather at the foot of a 50 inch bronze statue of a girl created by Kristen Visbal. McCann’s Brand Personality might have read: Brave. Proud. Resilient. Not belligerent. What one sees is a 16 or 17 year old, hair pulled back in a pig tail, hands on hips, simple dress seemingly being swept back. Shinny, little legs holding up a proud frame. She’s looking up and leaning forward. [Yes, she’s almost certainly read “Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg].
Without context dear reader you’d be forgiven for saying what’s that teenage SHE got to do with knowing “the power of women in leadership” for heaven’s sake? Well in advertising and in life and certainly at Cannes, context is really everything. The context of course is that SHE is facing down “Charging Bull”. Otherwise known as the Wall Street Bull this bronze sculpture [yes both works are made in identical material] weighs 7 100 pounds is 11 foot tall and 16 foot long. The bull is leaning back on its haunches, head lowered, nostrils flaring, wickedly long and sharp horns ready to charge [and scare the living daylights out of even the bravest bullfighter Spain could muster].
McCann are famous for “Truth Well Told”. Well the simple truth is that “Fearless Girl” isn’t fearless without “Charging Bull”. In other words, the campaign’s brilliance lies in it taking the “Against Position”.
“Charging Bull” was originally graffiti art created by Arturo Di Modica and erected by stealth in the dead of night back in 1987 after the stock market crash – to symbolize the power and resilience of the American economy and the forthcoming booming, bull market Wall Street would no doubt experience. It became such an overnight sensation, tourist attraction and icon of the world’s largest economy that it simply had to stay. Ironically Di Modica now wants McCann to take down Fearless Girl which was originally given a 30 day permit but which New York’s Mayor Bill de Blassio has extended until February 2018.
Fearless Girl [vs Charging Bull] was launched on International Women’s Day, March, 2016, so it will be a two year monument flocked by tourists with its message passed by word of mouth in this digital age. What is the message? Well a picture tells a thousand words. Each text has and will be different. Journalists won’t be at a loss of words either. Little girl facing down raging bull tells quite a story. Some might put it down to too much macho needs a little maiden. No one will disagree that the male “yang” needs to be better balanced by the female “yin”. In the boardroom and beyond.
