‘Raised by Words’ campaign wins for PR of Sheboard initiative and app
Press Release – [Friday 22 June 2018. Cannes] Global girls’ rights organization Plan International Finland launched its Sheboard app in November 2017. Developed in conjunction with creative agency hasan & partners and with support from Samsung Electronics Nordic, Sheboard challenges the way we talk to and about girls.
The ‘Raised by Words’ videos, website and PR campaign, created by hasan & partners with The Honey Partnership, was awarded a Bronze PR Lion at this week’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Aimed at young and adolescent girls who spend a lot of time texting friends, as well as parents and older siblings that text their children on a regular basis, Sheboard uses predictive text technology to raise awareness of the impact of gender-typical speech.
Katariina Harteela and Tobias Wacker from hasan & partners with Eva Anttila from Plan International Finland in Cannes
Eva Anttila, director of sales, marketing and loyalty for Plan International Finland said: “Sheboard’s purpose is to bring attention to this issue both in Finland and internationally. It helps people see the impact that words have, and make them consider ways they can change how they talk in order to empower girls.
“Cannes Lions are the most prestigious awards in the creative industry and this is an important acknowledgement of the innovative approach that Plan International Finland, in partnership with hasan & partners, adopts to communicate the really important messages around gender equality globally.”
Katariina Harteela, the creative from hasan & partners who conceived the concept explains: “Girls are raised by words. What we say to and about them affects their thoughts, self-esteem and confidence. The words we use are important. This initiative shows how Sheboard can be used to choose the right ones.”
The winning campaign received media attention all over the world; in more developed, relatively equal countries, and in those where girls’ rights are neglected. From Finland to Turkey, Australia to India. Editorial reach was more than 712 million across consumer, business, tech, social and trade media and 10.3 million on social channels.
Eva Anttila added: “When money is limited and behaviour change is difficult to achieve the message needs to be spread far and wide and PR played a vital role in reaching a global and diverse audience. It’s fantastic that Sheboard has been recognised in Cannes and we’re delighted that a whole new audience will be exposed to the app and keen to try it for themselves.”
Raised by Words
The language used to talk to and about girls is different to boys, which impacts on how girls perceive themselves and their abilities. Sheboard suggests words that empower girls and swaps stereotypical expressions with ones that pack a punch.
Strict gender roles affect both girls and boys from birth, all over the world. However, gender roles have a particularly negative effect on girls. According to a recent study, by the time girls are six years old they are likely to have internalised dated stereotypes that suggest boys are better suited for areas that require a certain type of intellectual capability such as maths and physics.
Sheboard is available for free download from the Google Play Store.
