Two years on from its groundbreaking launch, This Girl Can is back with a bold new campaign:
Set to the mesmerising words of Maya Angelou’s "Phenomenal Woman," the video captures women of all sizes, ages and backgrounds pushing themselves and their bodies to the limit — and having a great time while doing it.
Created by Sport England, This Girl Can is a celebration of womanhood, fitness, and just having fun, focusing on the pleasure of getting active no matter how good you are or how you look.
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Their campaign is well loved for bringing a smile to the face of anyone who walks past their empowering, pun-filled adverts.
Challenging Beauty Myths
Defying Perceptions
Celebrating Strength
And Having A Laugh
Our Zumba girls don't mind if they sweat because they love how they feel #thisgirlcanpic.twitter.com/to2qJowL1S
— This Girl Can (@ThisGirlCanUK) January 14, 2015
Ironically, the ads have been spotted juxtaposed with brands promoting a different kind of body image.
This, for me, says it all on importance of #ThisGirlCan. Countering sexist Kardashian nonsense with powerful pro-sport body-positive message pic.twitter.com/yv6NzhXYUG
— Rebecca Myers (@rebeccacmyers) February 24, 2017
This Girl Can has a witty comeback to the "beach body" mantra.
Empowering women with #ThisGirlCan - @ThisGirlCanUK's @kate_dale blogs https://t.co/ldyzM5ihQApic.twitter.com/j1wPYQMpHV
— Huffington Post UK (@HuffPostUK) February 24, 2017
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It's a campaign with a sense of humour to make a serious point. One of the key goals of the campaign is to combat the barriers to women playing sport.
Kate Dale, head of brand and digital at Sport England, explained on the Huffington Post that "fear of judgement" is one of the biggest obstacles preventing more women from getting active. Their research shows that some women fear how they’ll look, some worry about being a beginner, and others feel guilty taking time out from other priorities.
While these concerns may not apply to all women, the campaign seeks to tear down these barriers, showcasing women from all walks of life finding ways to enjoy working out. The latest ad has clearly struck a chord, gaining more than 300,000 views in a matter of hours. Since its launch, This Girl Can has inspired 2.8 million women to get active in some way, smashing stereotypes one hop, skip or jiggle at a time.
Need more inspiration? Visit http://www.thisgirlcan.co.uk/ to read stories of the real women in the ad and get involved.