There are many boys’ clubs in world, but none stronger than Australian politics. If you don’t think that has to change you must have slept through 2021. Women for Election, a for-purpose, non-partisan organisation with a mission to inspire and equip more women to enter politics is fighting to combat gender inequality in Australia with the launch of a new campaign Power Like You’ve Never Seen.
The campaign is led by a 60-second hero TVC that challenges the traditional trappings of power. “There’s a new kind of power on the rise,” it states. Women.
The brand platform and campaign were created by BMF and supported by UN Women Australia. They ask Australians to rethink the face of power and support a new era of female political leadership by calling on Australians to question their ideas of what power looks like and to urge more women to become political representatives.
The standout visual imagery comes from director, Phebe Schmidt. I want people who watch my films to feel “as though they can’t look away. Whether it be a hypnotic or visually striking piece of work, it is my aim to create work that sticks with the viewer,” she stated in an interview on The Stable.
The campaign includes a series of digital out-of-home ads across billboards in Australia with the slogans, Power Like You’ve Never Seen and If You Care, You’re Qualified, as well as a print ad championing a new era in leadership. The TV, OOH and print are supported by PR, social & influencer as well as a microsite.
Licia Heath, Women for Election chief executive officer, stated, “Australians are ready for more women in office; in order to make that vision a reality in future elections, we need to change our idea of what power looks like in Australia. We’ve seen women reclaim it by marching in Canberra, and now we want them to exercise it by taking a seat in each of Australia’s political chambers, be that Council, State or Federal.”
Pia Chaudhuri, executive creative director at BMF, added, “Gender equality is 134 away in Australia, which means none of us will ever see a gender equal society. But the fastest way to reduce this number is to get more women into public office – to give them a seat at the table where legislation is created, and major societal decisions are made. With more women in power, we can bring this number down to 10 years. But the challenge is inspiring women to take up these positions in the first place.
“We realised the reason most women don’t enter politics is simply because, for centuries now, power has been branded as male. So, we decided the only way we’ll ever truly achieve our goal, is to rebrand power itself. To make familiar symbols of power outdated, making way for a more inclusive brand of power. This is obviously a huge ambition. That’s why this is the start of a 10-year campaign – one that will only finish when we’ve reached gender equality. Ultimately, we want both the platform and concept of ‘Power Like You’ve Never Seen’ to become redundant in the not-so-distant future.”
Mandy Galmes, managing director and partner, Sefiani Communications Group, stated, “Forget business-as-usual. Australians are turning their eyes to the future and want nothing as usual. As a nation we are ready for a new era of gender equity in political leadership. To achieve this we need to reconsider what traditional power looks like and support women around the nation who have the leadership skills and experience to play an active part in our political future. At Sefiani we pride ourselves on being agents of change, and that means doing work that matters for positive change-makers. We are excited to be working alongside Women for Election, BMF and Havas to advocate change for a better future.”
The campaign launched on February 7 on television, social and digital out-of-home around the nation.
Credits:
Creative Agency: BMF
Chief Creative Officer: Alex Derwin
Executive Creative Director: Pia Chaudhuri
Senior Art Director: Nadia Ahmed
Senior Copywriter: Ellie Jones
Head of Art & Design: Lincoln Grice
Designer: Alex Kidd
Strategy Director: Rachel White
Account Manager: Lauren Mayne
Head of TV: Jenny Lee-Archer
Production Director: Karen Liddle
Finished Artist: Holly Jones
Creative Services Director: Clare Yardley
Client: Women for Election & UN Women Australia
Women for Election CEO: Licia Heath
Campaign Advisor Simone Bartley, THE BR&ND CO
UN Women Australia CEO: Simone Clarke
Production Company: Sweetshop
Director: Phebe Schmidt
Managing Director: Edward Pontifex
Executive Producer: Greg Fyson
Producer: Tom Davies
1st AD: Will Storr
DOPs: Matthew Jenkins & Brad Jarrett
1st AC: Marco Mitchell
Gaffers & Grips: Dan Carr & Tommi Hacker
Art Directors: Isabella Connelley & Jade Florence
Art Department Assistants: Anita Shao, Louisa Weichmann, Eve Maxwell & Morgan Massey
Post-Production: ARC
Executive Producer: Daniel Fry
Producer: Robyn Cummins
Editors: Brad Jarrett & Bella Walker
Online Artist: Patrick Campbell
Colourist: Dan Molony
Sound Production: Otis Studios
Music: Otis Studios
Casting Director: Megan Darcy from Nick Hamon Casting
“Name” sign design: Will Rhoten @djsober
Brand Agency: THE BR&ND CO
PR, Social and Influencer Agency: Sefiani Communications
Media Agency: Havas Media
Digital Agency: Apparent
Research Agency: Fifty5Five
