As culture was finally focusing its attention on gender inequality, Budweiser felt it had a duty to drive change around an issue it had a hand in creating. In 2019, we set out to close the gender representation gap for future generations by joining the advisory board of #SeeHer, a movement devoted to the accurate portrayal of women in media and advertising. With only 61% of ads positively portraying women in advertising, Budweiser committed to doing its part to see an advertising world that is 100%. To be part of the solution and inspire other brands to follow suit, we partnered with #SeeHer to kick-off an ongoing partnership to make sure Budweiser ads portray women the way they really are: diverse, authentic, and human. Our challenge was to announce the partnership in a groundbreaking way that would show we weren’t just saying something, we were doing something.

We knew we couldn’t move forward without facing our past. So we went back to some of our very first print ads of the 1950’s and 60’s and reimagined them within the context of today’s modern woman. We commissioned female illustrators to recreate three of our historically sexist print ads. We rebuilt them from the ground up to showcase women in more balanced and empowered roles. While the vintage ads portrayed women as little more than submissive servants to their husbands, our new ads showed women as equal and independent figures defined by their own self-worth. The new copy gave the women their own voice and made it clear that they’re not props. They’re beer drinkers.

Before we could genuinely move forward and help change our industry, we had to acknowledge the missteps of our past. Our PR strategy was about remaining transparent, honest, and committed to gender equality. This wasn’t about rewriting history, but instead about Budweiser’s path forward. We needed to recognize that, despite how far advertising has come, there is still work to be done in closing the gender gap. Our target audience for this campaign wasn’t just beer drinkers. We were focusing on something bigger than beer, something that people of all walks of life can connect with: equality. In the press, we tapped both the VP of Marketing for Budweiser and the #SeeHer organization to unveil our commitment to continue evaluating all of Budweiser’s ads going forward to ensure they are more reflective of today’s beer drinkers.

On March 8, 2019 — International Women’s Day — the ads ran side-by-side with their original counterparts in the main news section of The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and The Los Angeles Times. We wanted to ensure that our media buy reached consumers on both coasts, and in between. The New York Times ad ran nationally with a circulation of 596,637 while The Chicago Tribune ad ran locally in Chicago with a circulation of 348,355 and The Los Angeles Times ad ran locally in Los Angeles with a circulation of 596,637.

The campaign garnered 64 PR placements, including all the major industry trades and national news outlets, driving more than 257MM+ impressions. #SeeHer also shared the campaign with their network of industry leaders who have opted into the movement. Many industry leaders reached out to congratulate us on the campaign, going as far as saying, "this campaign will be studied at universities across America." Despite being rooted in print, the advertisements drove social conversation with 42.77MM organic impressions. Many consumers applauded a brand with such a conservative fanbase taking such a progressive stance. And for every comment we got from people telling us to stay out of politics, we got five more from people thanking us for taking a stand. Moving forward, each new Budweiser ad will be evaluated by the #SeeHer community and board to determine whether they are portraying both men and women equally, fairly, and positively.