Post: Best Ad Campaigns of 2006
Best Ad Campaigns of 2006
Here are our awards for ads that made a positive impact on girls and women -- and really our whole culture:
Dove Campaign For Real Beauty: Dove dove into the Superbowl commercial scene with their Campaign for Real Beauty and a powerful statement about the impact of media ideals on girls’ self esteem. They followed up with an ad showing first a physical and then a digital makeover of a model, designed to illustrate why our perception of beauty is so distorted. They use real little girls, all shapes and races, from cute to awkward, but all beautiful.
Maria Sharapova “I Feel Pretty” Nike Ad. In spite of all the sexy photos and Sports Illustrated swimsuit shots, this funny ad puts it all in proper perspective on match day. The fans, cameraman, ball girl, line judges, and commentators -- all singing lines from the song -- “ I feel pretty, oh so pretty. I feel pretty, and witty, and gay” -- to Sharapova as she drives to the match, walks into the stadium, and readies herself to play, stop abruptly after her first powerful strokes. The message: it ain’t about pretty; it’s about skill and power.
Super Princess Peach. Finally, Mario's Princess Peach gets to do some rescuing. The ad shows a group of little girls dressed in princess peach outfits running through tires, crawling through mud, and breaking through barriers to save Mario. It’s great to see pink as a power color!
Mother Love. While T-mobile made a lot of people laugh at the stereotyped chatty cheerleading teen, we love the Cellular One commercial that undoes a typical mother/daughter argument – “Why do you insist on treating me like an adult?” shouts the teen girl. “Because you insist on acting like one,” the mom yells back. This ad called “Mother Love” ends with “You’re the most grateful little…”
Girls Go Tech. The Girls Scouts and Ad Council teamed up to create a series of GirlsGoTech print, radio, and TV ads that show parents supporting young girls’ passion for science. In a TV spot a young girl asks her father why the sky is blue. When he sweetly responds, “To match your pretty eyes,” she replies, “Nope. Not even close,” and gives him the scientific explanation. In a radio spot a mother and her young daughter sing a version of Twinkle Twinkle that describes the birth of star: “Twinkle twinkle little star, You’re a ball of gas that’s very far...” This campaign won a Grand Good Award from the Advertising Women of New York, and for good reason.
For more best and worst lists, check out the Packaging Girlhood blog.