Forsman & Bodenfors has launched two fashion campaigns this week, one for H&M and the one below for George Jensen. Both validate real women and while it was perhaps not the intention of either campaign, the coincidence of these two ads may well accelerate the progress of women’s journey (and in particular their adland journey) into a new normal, where brands don’t feel they have to teach them to like themselves – because this time, this decade, we really have come a long way, baby.
The George Jenson campaign does not use models. Instead its features five real women and it champions them for staying true to who they are.
The women are award-winning film director, Susanne Bier from Denmark; WBA, WBC and WBO world champion welterweight boxer, Cecilia Brækhus from Norway; award-winning comedian, Sarah Kendall from Australia; professional motocross rider, Behnaz Shafiei from Iran; and Michelin star chef, Dominique Crenn from USA.
The ad’s tagline is You can never be too much you, and the 90 second spot, directed by Lærke Herthoni, applauds its women for not bowing to the criticism of being too demanding, too provocative, too loud or too ambitious.
“You’ll always be too much of something to someone,” the ad begins.
But, “if you round your edges, you lose you edge,” it concludes. “Don’t apologise for who you are.”
Forsman & Bodenfors’ global video and print campaign echoes the values-driven approach of Eva-Lotta Sjostedt, who was appointed the first female chief executive officer of Georg Jensen earlier this year and now leads the senior management team, where half its members are female, including its US president, Meeling Wong.
The women featured embody Sjostedt’s philosophy. They also defied conventions and rose to the tops of their professions, the global design firm said in a statement.
“We wanted this campaign to transcend ideals about beauty,” Sjöstedt stated. “The women featured are powerful role models.”
