The 2018 #Femvertising Awards Call for Entries Closes on June 15
Finalists Will Be Announced and Public Voting Opens in July; Winners to Be Revealed at the #BlogHer18 Creators Summit in August
NEW YORK – SheKnows Media, a leading women’s media company that reaches 66 million unique visitors per month (comScore, March 2018) and more than 350 million social media fans and followers, launched the call for entries for the fourth-annual #Femvertising Awards on Equal Pay Day.
Today, SheKnows announced nine impressive female leaders who will judge the 2018 submissions, and determine which ad campaigns will go on for public vote. They are:
- Barri Rafferty, President and CEO of Ketchum
- Claudia Chan, CEO of S.H.E. Summit and S.H.E. GLOBL Media, author of This is How We Rise
- Lynn Branigan, President and CEO of She Runs It
- Madeline Di Nonno, CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
- Sarah Spain, ESPN radio host, writer and TV personality
- Sharmi Albrechtsen, Founder of SmartGurlz
- Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient and Founder of The Girls’ Lounge
- Solange Claudio, President of Moxie and MRY
- Tricia Clarke-Stone, Co-Founder and CEO of WP Narrative_
The #Femvertising Awards pay tribute to brands and agencies that are challenging gender norms by challenging stereotypes that are often reinforced through advertising and media. Since its launch, SheKnows Media has expanded the scope and definition to be inclusive of ads that celebrate human diversity, gender, race, religious belief and sexual orientation.
Now in its fourth year, the #Femvertising Awards have generated entries from over 300 US brands and agencies of all sizes, across all industries, and more than 30,000 votes have been cast. Commercials, online videos, and social media campaigns launched between January 2017 and June 2018 are eligible to enter for free. The 2018 #Femvertising Awards Call for Entries will remain open until June 15, when the judges will help determine which campaigns move into public voting in the finalist round.
In July, the voting phase of the competition will begin and the public will ultimately determine the winners of the 2018 #Femvertising Awards. Previous winners include female-focused leaders like Always, Dove, Lane Bryant, L’Oréal and Pantene, as well as powerhouse brands like Audi, Bud Light, Dick’s Sporting Goods, General Mills, P&G, Ram Trucks, and Under Armour for the work they’ve done moving our culture forward through advertising.
“We are immensely proud of the reception our #ThisBody is Made to Shine campaign received last fall. We continue to believe that all women should be seen and celebrated and have access to inspiring fashion. We also want to encourage Hollywood, the media and other brands to embrace all women and more diversity to overcome outdated, social misconceptions. What an honor to receive an award – especially an award recognizing pro-female advertising – for continuing to embrace our core values which were established over a century ago by our founder, Lena Bryant,” said 2017 Femvertising Award winner Lane Bryant’s Vice President of Creative, Mindy Torrey.
The 2018 winners will be revealed at #BlogHer18 Creators Summit in New York City this August.
“Advertising fills our airways, permeating all content we consume. Advertising represents the values of the corporation who funds it. From creative to media placement, many advertisers are using their power for good. The gap between profit and social responsibility continues to close – driven in part by a groundswell of consumer activism that holds corporations accountable for their consumer messaging,” said Samantha Skey, President, SheKnows Media. “As we enter the fourth year of the #Femvertising Awards, we are stoked to honor like-minded brands, agencies and organizations that are using their creative power to spread pro-human, inclusive messages. We are currently experiencing a seismic cultural shift led by the Women’s March and movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp, and I look forward to seeing those values play out in advertising messages this year.”
“It’s important we recognize the brands who are pushing the boundaries of gender stereotypes and making conscious decisions to be inclusive of all humans. Advertisers play a big role in shaping the narrative, and by honoring the companies who are doing it right, we ensure that more and more of our ads are reflective of the diversity we see in the world, ” said Solange Claudio, President, Moxie and MRY.
Barri Rafferty, President and CEO of Ketchum and #Femvertising Awards judge, added, “The advertising industry has faced criticism for many years for playing a role in sexualizing and stereotyping women. Right now, we are witnessing a renaissance, where brands and advertisers are actually leading the shift toward diverse, inclusive messages and visuals that turn stereotypes and gender norms on their heads. I am proud to take part in this program which recognizes those brave brands that celebrate difference by mirroring the diversity of our society.”
Learn more about the 2018 #Femvertising Awards here or email Femvertising@SheKnows.com. More information about SheKnows Media can be found at www.sheknowsmedia.com.
About SheKnows Media
SheKnows Media is a top women’s lifestyle digital media company with 66 million unique visitors per month (comScore March 2018) and more than 350 million social media fans and followers. The company operates a family of leading media properties that include SheKnows.com, BlogHer.com, STYLECASTER.com and HelloFlo.com. With a mission of women inspiring women, SheKnows Media is revolutionizing the publishing industry by forging a new kind of model that seamlessly integrates users, editors and content creators onto a single platform designed to empower all women to discover, share and create. Whether it’s parenting or pop culture, fashion or food, DIY or décor, our award-winning editorial team, Experts, bloggers and social media influencers produce authentic and on-trend content every day. We dig deep to learn what makes our audience tick, revealing unexpected insights on women and digital media. Our robust, end-to-end suite of premium branded content and influencer marketing solutions generate nearly 1 billion ad impressions per month (sources: DFP), allowing brands to distribute authentic content and integrated advertising at scale.
SheKnows Media, part of the Penske Media Corporation, is based in New York and Scottsdale, Arizona, with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago, and operates internationally in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
