What does it mean to do something "like a girl?" Thanks to a new (and refreshing!) ad campaign from Always, a feminine hygiene brand, they've explored the negative tone that this phrase typically implies.
In the video, teen girls and a young boy are asked to demonstrate running, throwing and fighting like a girl. At first, they all display weak and comically high-maintenanced versions of these activities.
"A girl's confidence plummets during puberty. Always wants to change that," a message reads in the video. Always then asked young girls to demonstrate the same activities. And the result was inspiring.
"It means run as fast as you can," one little girl answered.
"Yes, I kick like a girl and I swim like a girl and I walk like a girl — and I wake up in the morning like a girl because I AM a girl — and that's not something that I should be ashamed of," another girl declares.
Can you say girl power? The attitude of these young women is spot on.
Always Brand Director, Amanda Hill, wants to not only build loyalty to her brand, but to also change the meaning of this commonly used phrase.
"When we shared this idea with young girls, four out of five of them said, 'Yes, this makes complete sense that Always would be connected in a movement that would change the perception of the phrase 'like a girl'," said Hill.
I don't know about you, but "like a girl" has almost always been hurled as an insult when I've heard it (Sandlot, anyone?!). The phrase is commonly used to motivate young boys to try harder in sporting events. Someone lobs a baseball that barely makes it to its intended target. "You throw like a girl!" a coach yells. The small, slower kid trailing behind the rest of the group needs to toughen up. "You run like a girl!" someone shouts.
To me, "like a girl" is essentially sending out this message: Boys are strong and girls are weak. The thing is, we aren't.
If running like a girl means finishing races faster than the majority of the men running, then yes, I absolutely run like a girl. In fact, I've passed plenty of men while running races pregnant while pushing my 2-year-old in a jogging stroller, thank you very much.
Want to join in on the movement? Take a stand and show young girls everywhere that doing things #LikeAGirl should never be used as an insult. Share photos, videos, Vines and Instagrams with the hashtag #LikeAGirl.
What to you think about this ad campaign? Has anyone ever told you that you "run like a girl" or "throw like a girl?" Share below in the comments section!
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