2023 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Despite being in the US, UK, or Canada, there is a noticeable lack of statues representing women. Only 2% of statues worldwide represent women, and in London, there are more animal statues than women statues. Unfortunately, few statues, like the "Comfort Women" statue in the Philippines, have been stolen and never found. Additionally, Vancouver, Canada, has no statues that honor real women. YWCA Metro Vancouver is fighting tirelessly for gender equity worldwide. They offer a vast range of services, including transition housing, domestic violence support, legal and employment advice, and childcare, while also advocating for fair policies on a governmental level. They strive to end all forms of gender inequality. After learning that only 2% of statues worldwide honor women, YWCA decided to address this issue, not by honoring just one woman in history, but by giving every woman a platform and a voice.

Public art and monuments hold great influence in shaping cultural perceptions and are critical to shifting the narrative for gender equality. Unfortunately, 98% of public statues honor men, many of whom were not particularly honorable. While a standard statue may be a familiar sight, a statue-less statue is uncommon. Thus, YWCA's "Reserved for Her" was designed to spark curiosity and stop passers-by in their tracks. By removing the common element - a statue - they created a space for all women to step into and a platform to lift them up while pushing for permanent change.

On International Women's Day, YWCA launched "Reserved for Her." They created a statue base from scratch, with a plaque reading "Reserved for Her." This podium served as a platform for women's equality, reserving space for all women and girls to get on and take their rightful place in history. During Women's History Month, three other bases were placed around the world, in London, the Philippines, and Cape Town. Then, an AR statue base was created to give women everywhere the chance to step up. More than just a photo op, "Reserved for Her" became a vessel for women's empowerment, engaging women and sparking important conversations. It stands as the statue base that honors more women than history ever did.

At the time of launch, "Reserved for Her" became the most successful campaign in YWCA's history, with a staggering 2200x ROI on earned media and 7 million+ impressions, achieving the largest reach for a campaign with zero paid media dollars invested. The story dominated International Women's Day coverage in Canada, breaking through all other brands activating on the same day. They saw a 66% engagement rate on Instagram, exceeding the typical 5% engagement rate benchmark. The online sentiment was 95% positive, and the campaign sparked conversation between YWCA and local governments about the importance of representation in public monuments, leading to discussions about getting the first real woman honored in statue-form. As a result of the campaign, Scotiabank, an international bank, even stepped up to sponsor a permanent statue base.

Credits

Chief Creative Officer: Aaron Starkman
Executive Creative Director: Mike Dubrick
Creative Director: Leia Rogers, Morgan Tierney, Pamela Rounis, Sean O’Connor, Hans Thiessen
ACD/Art Director: Syd Danger
ACD/Copywriter: Emily Betteridge
CSO: Sean McDonald
Producer: Claire Khan, Scott Russell, Steph Walker-Wells,
Editor: Ignacio Florez
Developer: Thomas McKeen
Account Director: Kennedy Crawford
Account Manager: Nicole Kerrigan
Strategic Communications Lead: Meredith Montgomery
Amplification Strategist: Aliz Tennant
Editorial Lead: Lianne George
PR Coordinator: Kaitlyn Vian

Client:
Amy Juschka, Director, Advocacy and Communications