BMO Marks International Day of the Girl with an Evolution of ‘Jane’s Story’
The social media campaign from FCB Canada shines a light on social conditioning and gender-based stereotypes.
As part of its longstanding commitment to empowering the female leaders of tomorrow, BMO has launched an online initiative to eliminate discriminatory language in dictionary definitions for terms such as “gold digger” and “shopaholic.”
Timed to coincide with the International Day of the Girl on Oct. 11, the social media campaign from FCB Canada is an evolution of “Jane’s Story”—an initiative timed for International Women’s Day in March that illustrated the subtle but pervasive obstacles women face when it comes to establishing financial independence.
BMO is urging consumers to take action through a Change.org petition aimed at eliminating gender bias in dictionary definitions that undermine women’s financial confidence and independence.
The creative shows a young girl accompanied by a super featuring the dictionary definitions of terms like “gold digger” and “shopaholic”—both of which contain discriminatory descriptions like “a woman who forms relationships with men purely to obtain money or gifts from them” and “…Diane loved looking for new clothes with her two daughters.” The social media ads use the hashtag #BMOForWomen and #DayOfTheGirl.
“These biased words are so ingrained in our culture,” Elma Karabegovic, Associate Creative Director, FCB Canada. “By officially amending the meanings, we can start changing old and outdated habits. It will take time, but this is the first step.”
BMO is also working with influencers to amplify the petition and explore the stereotypes around women and money such as needing a man for financial security and that retail therapy is a cure for feeling down.
“The first step to financial empowerment for women is understanding the societal issue that may be holding them back,” said Jennifer Carli, VP Head, Brand & Social Media, BMO Financial Group. “We are using the petition to raise awareness of the impact that the words we use can have on women’s financial confidence, and we’re inviting consumers to help us make a change for the next generation of girls.”
BMO has made empowering women one of the cornerstones of its business, including investing more than $3 billion in capital over three years to women-owned businesses and programs. Since the funding was announced in 2018, BMO’s growth in loans to these Canadian women-owned businesses has surpassed the national average by nearly 3%.
For more information on BMO for Women, visit: https://bmoforwomen.com/ourcommitment, and for more details on BMO’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, visit: https://corporate-responsibility.bmo.com.
Follow @BMO on Twitter to join the conversation using #DayoftheGirl
Credits
Title: Jane / International Day of the Girl
Client: BMO
Head, Marketing and Strategy: Catherine Roche
VP North American Brand & Social Media: Jennifer Carli
Director, Brand Advertising: Shelley Johnsen
Senior Marketing Manager, Brand Advertising: Kaleigh MacMaster
Creative Agency: FCB Canada
Chief Creative Officer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
Group Creative Director: Andrew McPhee & Jeremiah McNama
Associate Creative Director: Elma Karabegovic
Art Director: Hussein Rumaithi
Copywriter: Shannon McCarroll
Copywriter: Caleb McMullen
Broadcast Producer: Anne-Marie Martignago
Senior Producer: Adriana Laborde
Editor: John Garofalo
EVP, General Manager: Tracy Little
VP, Group Account Director: Erin Howes
Account Director: Allison Lochhead
Account Supervisor: Ali Gayowski
Chief Strategy Officer: Shelley Brown
VP, Strategy: Eryn LeMesurier
Production Company: Untitled Films
Director: Hubert Davis
Executive Producer: Peter Davis
Line Producer: Trudy Turner
DOP: Kiel Milligan
Editorial: Rooster Post Production
Editor: Michelle Czukar
Executive Producer: Samantha MacLaren
Post Production: Alter Ego
Colourist: Eric Whipp
Flame Artist: Darren Achim
Music: Apollo
Music Director/Composer – Apollo: Daenen Bramberger
Executive Producer – Apollo: Tom Hutch
Casting: Shasta Lutz, Jigsaw Casting
Media Agency: UM
VP Client Business Partner: Kate Mateer
Group Director: Tim Davies
Director, Connection Planning: Katey Gault
Account Manager: Rachel Pearson
Campaign Manager, Social: Alex Perkes
Director, Performance: Hailey Smith
Associate Director, Programmatic Strategy: Isaac Bunn
Senior Associate, Campaign Manager: Sai Dubakka
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