Always’ “Like a Girl” campaign stayed with me. Growing up, I heard “cry like a girl” or “hit like a girl” used to mean weakness, while watching women carry on through pain and responsibility. The campaign challenged a phrase that had become so familiar people could overlook its meaning.
I became a loyal customer, and now my daughter is too. For me, that is the power of a campaign that connects with something already felt: the product gains meaning through a position the customer recognises.
The campaign can be found at https://www.always.co.uk/en-gb/about-us/campaigns-and-initiatives/our-epic-battle-like-a-girl/. Its message invites people to reconsider how casually they attach weakness to girls.
H&M’s notorious hoodie image had the opposite effect on me. The racial implications of the wording, paired with a child, were deeply upsetting. The company apologised, but an apology did not restore my willingness to buy from the brand.
I do not want to reproduce that image or send it more attention. The child’s wellbeing matters more than another round of outrage. The marketing lesson is that cultural awareness belongs inside the decision-making process, before a campaign reaches the public.