Yes — I do Throw Like a Girl — Because I am one!

When I think of an organization that used social media to build a community around a societal issue, I think of the period product brand Always. In 2014 and 2015, the brand launched a campaign with the hashtag #LikeAGirl. The statement “like a girl” had always had a negative connotation or been used as an insult. I know anyone out there with a brother has experienced the “you throw like a girl” while playing catch with them in the backyard while growing up. I have a very distinct memory of playing kickball in the yard with my brother and his friends, and they never let me pitch!

The “like a girl” expression was often used to “tease somebody who is weak, over-emotional, or useless” (Case Study: Always #LikeaGirl, 2015). With their campaign, Always wanted to flip the narrative on this expression. They ran an experiment where they cast young women and men, and then little boys and girls. While on camera, the brand asked the participants to do things “like a girl”, such as throw, run in place, or fight. They noticed that the older women, men, and boys “behaved in a silly and self-deprecating way, acting out the insulting stereotype” (Case Study: Always #LikeaGirl, 2015). The young girls confidently ran or fought, with incredible pride and self-belief. Here is a video the brand put out on YouTube:

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The younger girls heard “run like a girl” and they ran as fast as they could! Why then, did the older women, embody the negative stereotype? The brand found that gender stereotypes really start to affect young women when they reach puberty. As young girls, we are taught that getting our period means becoming a woman and we are then exposed to the societal stereotypes associated with being a woman. There are beauty standards and expectations. There is an understanding, perpetuated by society, in movies, and in TV, that “leadership, power, and strength are for men, not women” (Case Study: Always #LikeaGirl, 2015). These high expectations partnered with our changing bodies when we get our periods, leads to issues with low self-esteem and self-confidence.

I remember being taught to hide my pads or tampons as I carried them to the bathroom. This made me feel like having my period was something to be embarrassed by. I also remember my mom telling me to “not talk about it” in front of my dad or brother. It emphasized the stereotype that getting my period and being a woman made me different, and weak, and not as good as men. Anytime I got my period, when I felt bloated, and bloody, my self-confidence was in the ground.

Always, being a period brand, knew they wanted to redefine the “like a girl” expression. They were already aware that girls were not necessarily excited to buy their products, as it meant they were getting their periods — something they associated with being sad and weak. So they figured that a campaign such as this one, would help change their brand’s reputation, the reputation of period products, and help reject the notion that becoming a woman is a negative thing to be ashamed of.

The brand took to social media, first YouTube and then Twitter and Facebook, and flooded the hashtag #LikeAGirl with positive, inspiring examples of women doing amazing things. Therefore, anytime someone searched the hashtag, they found uplifting videos and pictures of women doing incredible things. They did not find videos portraying the negative connotation of the expression. The brand even got a Super Bowl commercial in 2015, and featured men, women, and children all joining the #Likea\AGirl movement. “Through robust content, tiered media, and influencer strategy, #Likea\AGirl dominated the news cycle with 4.64 billion online impressions…trending nationally on Twitter and Facebook, over 4x longer than the next closest ad/brand” (Always #LikeAGirl: Turning an insult into a confidence moment, n.d.).

This campaign reminds me of the KPop community of fans flooding the hashtag #WhiteLivesMatter with videos of KPop singers and performances, in 2020, during the Black Lives Matter movement. By doing this, they were able to drown out racist tweets. They used the power and unique features of social media, for good.

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This is exactly what Always did. They used the power the of the hashtag and the rapid distribution of information via the internet, to enact positive change. By encouraging others to use the hashtag, they created a community of women online who were kicking long-held stereotypes to the curb, or over the field goal (see the photo above). Additionally, because they are a period brand, they helped to change the negative connotations that come with periods and needing a pad or tampon.

Yes — getting your period does mean you are woman — and that’s that! It is nothing to be ashamed of. It is incredible messaging on their part. Now when women see their brand, they think of #LikeAGirl and feel motivated, inspired, and confident. Sure — they are getting their period, they are a woman, but this campaign helped you realized just how special being a women is.

I remember the first time I saw the commercials. I had never realized how negative the “like a girl” expression really was, and how it fully perpetuated a false stereotype. It made me re-think they way I do things, just like Always used social media to “rewrite the rules.” I am proud to be like a girl. If you tell me I do something “like a girl”, I say — damn right I do.

References

Always #LikeAGirl: Turning an insult into a confidence movement. (n.d.). Institute for Public Relations. https://instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/Always-LikeAGirl-Turning-an-Insult-into-a-Confidence-Movement.pdf.

Case Study: Always #LikeAGirl. (2015, October 12). Campaign. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/case-study-always-likeagirl/1366870.

Good Morning America (2020, June 4). KPop fans flood social media to drown out racist posts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Q075sZSM4