Fearless Girl Triumphs
Before it was installed, Fearless Girl didn’t look like much — it was simply a bronze statue of a defiant looking young girl. But when the statue was placed facing the iconic Charging Bull on Wall Street on March 7, Fearless Girl broke out of her mold and became an ideology. The idea for Fearless Girl was thought up by agency McCann New York for State Street Global Advisors to advocate for women in corporate culture, with the hope that businesses would become inspired to place more women in leadership roles.
It is clear that Fearless Girl has taken the world by storm since its installation. The statue is rarely left alone, as New Yorkers and tourists from around the world flock to see Fearless Girl staring down Charging Bull and witness the installation’s message of strength and courage in person. Fearless Girl has also become a fixture on social media, as admirers wait their turn to pose next to or imitate Fearless Girl for the perfect Instagram or Facebook photo.
This month, the incredible attention that Fearless Girl has received and conversations it has sparked were recognized at the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity, a gathering that honors the top work in the advertising and creative communications industry. Fearless Girl made history, becoming only the third campaign to be awarded four Grand Prix, the festival’s top honor. In total, Fearless Girl was honored with 18 awards. Devika Bulchandani, managing director of McCann New York, said of Fearless Girl’s success, “We came to Cannes thrilled that Fearless Girl had caught the world’s attention and that gender diversity in the corporate world had a visible champion. But winning here, especially the Titanium Grand Prix, is exhilarating and humbling.”
Agencies can certainly learn a thing or two from Fearless Girl’s success. Agencies should always try to make their campaigns simple, timely and memorable. Agencies should strive to create campaigns that have a simple message that will resonate with people globally. They should also try to incorporate a topic or issue that is prevalent in society into their campaign. Finally, agencies should strive to create a campaign that people just can’t stop talking about and will never forget.
Take a look at the video below to hear what Fearless Girl’s creators, Tali Gumbiner and Lizzie Wilson, have to say about their famous creation and its future:
Read more on Fearless Girl’s Cannes victories here:
Photo by Anthony Quintano via Flickr: