2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for PR?

This work used social media and influencers to generate awareness and positive sentiment towards females in science. We created a movement of content that would bring attention to the awards ceremony for L'Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East which acknowledges and celebrates women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We seized the attention of media and general public alike with a distinctive PR campaign. Through a clear messaging approach and intelligent use of social media, we were able to deliver on our objectives of engagement and sentiment.

Background

‘L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East’ is a program that encourages scientific advances pioneered by extraordinary women in the region in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and celebrates the achievements of pioneering Arab women in science through an awards ceremony held in Dubai. As a PR team, we had to communicate the message that the world needs science and science needs women. But, why would someone who’s not interested in the field of STEM pause and listen to what we have to say? How can we break through the thousands of posts on social media to deliver our message? We wanted to help L’Oréal deconstruct the existing myths and misconceptions about women in STEM. We had to use a digital platform to tell the world that Women are NOT less capable or less interested in STEM than men!

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

The world needs science and science needs women. We set out to ignite a swell of unavoidable messages to the world that female scientists are crucial to the progress of science. We wanted a multitude of voices all shouting the same message, in their own relevant and impactful way. We created a visual symbol to represent females in science - the LAB COAT. Wearing this symbol, our influencers would add their voice to the positive noise about importance of females in science - supported by L'Oreal. To slice through viewers ambivalence, we recruited Sophia the Robot - the first Suadi female robot and the United Nations Development Program's first ever Innovation Champion to deliver our message.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Various research and studies prove that the bias against recognizing the achievements of women scientists is historic and still is part of many cultures. We created an original and eye-catching campaign that stopped people while scrolling through their Instagram feed. Our strategy had to highlight L’Oréal’s role in encouraging and celebrating Arab women’s achievements in the field of STEM. Using simple yet noticeable content, we wanted to inspire and educate people about L'Oréal program and its impact in the region. We had to create a buzz around the ‘L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East’ fellowship awards and leverage the winners’ stories on digital channels. We did that through: 1) A Social Media Influencers Campaign #Steminist 2) Digital PR Stunt by collaborating with ONE memorable personality

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

We partnered with 100 social media influencers to create a movement dedicated to celebrating the achievements of female scientists in the region. The symbol of our movement was the LAB COAT – a symbol of science, innovation and change. Our influencers created personalized content with positive and encouraging messages to show honor and respect for female scientists. Their content was tagged with our campaign hashtags; #STEMist (STEM + Feminist) and #TeachUsRight. It didn’t just stop there. We wanted ONE unique personality to join in the movement and spread the word about our campaign! And who else represents science more than a woman made from science? We partnered with Sophia the Robot – the first Saudi female robot and the United Nations Development Program's first ever Innovation Champion – who created digital content that was leveraged on her and L’Oréal’s social platforms and aired during the awards ceremony.

List the results (30% of vote)

• Over 150 pieces of content developed by 100 social media influencers on Instagram • Over half a million likes on posts • 300,000 Views on stories and video content created pre, during and after the project • 7,000 comments on content • 100% positive sentiment on all content generated