Penguin Random House believes that books, the stories they tell and the ideas they convey have the power to reinforce dialogue and social cohesion, to change and enrich us, and are fundamental to create a better future for generations to come.

The brief asked for a campaign that reinforced the brand’s role as a force for positive change in society, specifically around the subject of gender discrimination.

We used a deeply rooted social convention, one that is an overlooked symbol of a historically patriarchal society, as a starting point to create a conversation around the representation of women in society.

Igniting this debate about the conventions that still silently discriminate against women was the aim of this campaign.

By questioning this dated convention to start a conversation, Penguin Random House is working to push gender equality forward, advocating for women visibility and claiming their identity.

Engagement with the brand grew 1964% on Twitter and 1756% on Youtube.

Visits to the Penguin Random House webpage increased 82% in comparison to the pre-campaign daily average.

The campaign was written about in 91 articles, appeared in 61 radio shows and news segments, and was featured 5 times on TV, including Prime Time News in a main channel.

In 3 days, the campaign generated €4.7 million in earned media, reaching 32% or the Portuguese population, with 402 255 impressions on Instagram.

For scale purposes, Portugal is a country with a total population of 10.33 million people.

In only 1 day the subject of Gender Equality achieved 97% more mentions on mass media than in the previous 12 months.

All this with a media investment of €500 and 1 115€ in production.

Franz Lowy – A Metamorfose

Franz Lowy – The Metamorphosis

Jane Leigh – Persuasão

Jane Leigh – Persuasion

Oscar Elgee – O Retrato de Dorian Gray

Oscar Elgee – The Picture of Dorian Gray

Nicolau Nelli – O Príncipe

Nicolau Nelli – The Prince

William Arden – Otelo

William Arden – Othello

Fernando Nogueira – Toda Uma Literatura

Fernando Nogueira – A Whole Literature

Herman Gansevoort – Bartleby, o Escrivão

Herman Gansevoort – Bartleby, the Scrivener

Jean-Jacques Bernard – Discurso sobre a Origem e os Fundamentos da Desigualdade entre os Homens

Jean-Jacques Bernard – Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men

The overall campaign budget was €1 615.

The media investment was €500, used to sponsor the video on Facebook during 1 day.

€1 115 was the production costs of the 178 kits sent to opinion makers, business leaders and influencers. None of them were paid to create content.

Discrimination against women is a global problem, but it’s particularly relevant in Portugal.

According to the Gender Equality Index, the country ranks 15th in the EU, scoring below the European average in decision-making, income, knowledge and time.

Eurostat shows that the gender wage gap is not only significant but increasing for 3 consecutive years.

A study by the association MUTIM declares that 62% of women feels pressured to choose between a career or having a family.

According to the European Institute for Gender Equality, only 16,7% of government positions in Portugal are held by women (27,7% in EU).

This social context is why it was so important for Penguin Random House, with 55% of female authors on its catalog and 65% of women in management positions, to reinforce its role as a positive force for change and evolution in society with work that helps move society towards gender equality.