A screen shot from the "Like a girl" ad

Always, the feminine product brand from Proctor and Gamble, has a new ad campaign out around the theme of “Like a Girl.” The first ad challenges the use of the playground taunt and aims to raise awareness of the impact of the phrase on girls as they go through puberty.

In the ad, several adults (male and female) are asked to show how they would do an activity like a girl. When illustrating how they would run, fight or throw like a girl, each of the adults uses exaggerated and insincere impressions.

Next, pre-pubescent girls are asked the same questions and they all run, fight and throw with great enthusiasm and flair. The girls have no hesitation in showing how they run, how they wind up their arm to throw or their fighting stance.

The adult sare then asked several questions about how they think girls are affected when they’re told they do things “like a girl”. When asked what advice they would give to young girls, one of the adults poignantly answered:

I mean, yes! I kick like a girl, and I swim like a girl, and I walk like a girl, and I wake up in the morning like a girl, because I am a girl. And that is not something I should be ashamed of, so I’m going to do it anyway.

The best part of the ad (for me), is the end when the adults are given a chance to re-do their first actions and we see them running, throwing and fighting just as proudly as the young girls.

I think this is an incredible ad and I applaud Always for trying to raise awareness of what young girls face as they begin puberty and learn to deal with the changes their bodies are going through.

Personally, I would’ve appreciated having this type of ad campaign when I was younger. Puberty was not an easy time for me as I really struggled with the physical changes as well as self-esteem issues. I became quite introverted and stopped doing a lot of the things I enjoyed. At the time, it was easier to stay at home than to have to try on a sports bra to play basketball comfortably.

My hope is that if I ever have daughters, I will remember the message of this campaign and not use “like a girl” as anything but the positive description that it is.

The ad can be seen here: