Women Vanished From Ads Yesterday For The #NotThere Campaign For Gender Equality
Yesterday, women disappeared from billboards and from the covers of newsstand magazines all over NYC in honor of International Women’s Day and to make a point about gender equality. The campaign started trending under the #NotThere hashtag, and was started by No Ceilings – a project of the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
The projects website states, “Even today, persistent stereotypes and barriers keep women from equal access, representation, and compensation in our communities and around the world.” Equality for women is just “not there” yet. So, what better way to launch a viral campaign than to imagine a world without women. #NotThere literally imagines a world where women have disappeared:
Yesterday, hundreds of famous, powerful women just disappeared. #notthere #IWD2015 http://t.co/jNyhI6RYtA pic.twitter.com/6rExSZK5YC
”” Mamamia (@Mamamia) March 9, 2015
We’re not there yet on gender equality. Find out why and learn what you can do to help us get there. #NotThere pic.twitter.com/PN3Anq9hzs ”” Rebecca Minkoff (@RebeccaMinkoff) March 8, 2015
When it comes to gender equality, we’re simply #NotThere yet: http://t.co/PcakZrthuf pic.twitter.com/ss50n3HADv ”” Allure magazine (@Allure_magazine) March 8, 2015
Gender Equality: We’re simply #NotThere yet. http://t.co/gt1BsQppo4 pic.twitter.com/HGSIJ2UjAE
”” Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) March 8, 2015
The campaign is also urging women all over the world to change their social media profiles to blank silhouettes to promote awareness of the campaign. The campaign begs the question, “Wait, why aren’t there more women in every part of our lives?”
It is a little odd that the campaign took shape in the form of fashion magazines and billboards — places where women are represented and generally objectified. But if you are going to make a visual statement, it was certainly the obvious choice. It’s also a choice that made a stirring statement and very sharable images — always the goal when thinking about giving a campaign legs.
Anything that gets the message out there. #NotThere
(photo: Twitter)
