Pymble Ladies’ College launches new ‘Watch us Change the World’ campaign on IWD via McCann
In collaboration with the United Nations Women Australia, Pymble Ladies’ College has launched a new unapologetic brand platform via McCann Sydney, designed with female empowerment at its heart.
The campaign is led by the Pymble students themselves and features determined expressions, combined with the provocative statement, “Watch us change the world”, a departure from the images usually associated with girls’ schools.
The portraits, shot and directed by renowned photographer Alina Gozin’a, asked the young women to display confidence and determination not often seen in girls’ school advertising.
Says Kate Hadwen principal of Pymble Ladies’ College: “The campaign reflects our overarching goal, to equip out girls with the academic, emotional, social and digital intelligence required to grow and flourish as compassionate and influential young women, who are empowered to change their world for the better.”
Says Kelly Mancey, director of marketing, Pymble Ladies’ College: “The new brand platform is deliberately provocative. It actively reflects our belief in our young women, and what their futures hold. It was developed to challenge perceptions and create interest in the benefits of a Pymble education.”
Says Roshni Hegerman, chief strategy officer, McCann: “We are very proud to deliver this kind of work for Pymble on International Women’s Day. We also applaud the conviction of the Pymble team to present this confident view of their young women. In a category that is very conservative, and almost always depicts students as just politely smiling children in straw hats, this work is brave. More than that, it is necessary in 2021.”
Client: Pymble Ladies’ College (in support of United Nations Women Australia)
Agency: McCann
Contributors: Kelly Mancey, Emma Saville, Roshni Hegerman, Alina Gozin’a, Nikki Jones, Lucy Gavan, Ekin Gunes, Elly Scales, Cinnamon Darvall, Harriet Darvall, Lauren Jennings, Edwin Concubierta, Christian Duffy, Daniel Miller, Nick Withford, Michael Papageorgiou, Martin Vesely, James Greet, Cam Richardson, Ben Coulson, Ellen Woods.
36 Comments
Good to see all the contributors except for the copywriter who wrote the line, the strategist who actually briefed and drove this, and the CCO who actually did the creative direction on it. Very classy from McCann.
As if a school that has a waiting list would need or pay for these ads.
A school like this has a waiting list because they keep moving forward with their brand and message. Complacency is the end of a waiting list.
Simple, powerful and engaging. Cuts though in a category that usually says nothing of interest. Take note other schools, this is how it’s done.
-)) xx Alina
Wow!
When private schools advertising is normally primary children smiling while doing art in front of historical or modern classrooms, we are faced with a fresh new approach on IWD.
What a powerful advertising campaign showcasing the results of educating females.
This is really strong. So nice to see young women portrayed like this!
merci ! x
Hi commenter 1. If you contributed to this work before I was at the agency, please give me a buzz and we’ll get you added. BC
Schools with waiting lists all advertise
It’s about maintaining brand so those lists remain full.
Also, enrolments are just one fo their audiences, they also want the best teachers, the best partners, the best media coverage, the best sponsors etc
All connected to the strength of the brand
I like this.
Many schools use this idea of what their pupils go on to achieve, but this makes it seem more exciting/less cheesy and the photography is of a high standard
Love this, exactly what we need on IWD!
Bold for it’s category, Kudos to Pymble for planting a flag in the sand. More work like this please.
Lovely work, Alina
merci ! -) x
There is a lot of really nicely made work for IWD on the blog today. Well done all who stepped up and brought their client/brand along.
Of the work, I like this the most. Because it throws down with a clear solution, and doesn’t dwell on the problem. As beautiful as some of the other work is, how much effect can it have when it’s mostly reminding us of the problem, or even suggesting we need men to fix this (togehter we can get there).
This campaign isn’t a mirror to the problem, and doesn’t ask a question. It bravely says this educator and these young women are signed up to be the change we need.
Does a private school make THAT much money they can afford to use MCCANN or was this a freebie/low bono job?
AND YOUR TAXES PAY FOR SOME OF IT. COOL HA?
Yes. They make that much money.
Great school, but thankfully my daughter graduated 2 years ago.
That is the most bizarre campaign for a school I have ever seen. They have seriously missed the Mark. Being arrogant doesn’t equal confidence.
Your name explains exactly why you wouldn’t get it.
PLC is definitely a paying customer. This is not a scam, it’s a pretty standard brief lol.
@AverageJoe
Seeing this as arrogant is depressingly cynical. Is everything okay buddy?
As an Ex Student – I love the campaign.
Unfortunately, I haven’t changed the world (I’m hoping there’s still time:)) – but this is super inspirational for young women and parents.
Cheers.
No, I don’t think it was scam, but I did wonder how much marketing budget a school like this would get that would make it feasible to go to one a top end ad agency.
Ive worked with private schools in the past and the budgets were well below what I’d have thought mccann would consider worthwhile business.
Clearly there’s different kinds of private school!
Anyway, like I said, I think it’s good and yeah, to whoever said it was arrogant…nah…not at all
Cool story bro!
Cool. But why is someone eating an apple under the VO?
Really nicely shot and crafted.
Great to see Ellyse Perry in there. If a man made the Australian Cricket and Soccer teams at age 16 they’d be in every ad for Vitamins, Advanced Hair, Kayo…
Ever wondered what you are paying for? Here are your taxes at work. Private schools are businesses. Sadly us tax payers with kids in public schools also lose part of our income to these already over funded schools. Go figure. Your taxes are being used to make superfluous branding exercises for schools that can afford to use a major Ad agency while public schools ask parents to bring tissue boxes in at the start of each term because they are so underfunded. This is Gross and tone deaf. Especially after a pandemic has crippled peoples lives.Gross entitlement.
Agree that subsidising private schools with tax payers money needs to be reexamined.
Not sure I agree it’s tone deaf of the school to do a campaign like this.
We have no idea how much they paid for it.
If it’s private schooling you want, then you deserve that choice. However what you are currently receiving snit private schooling, but semi-tax payer subsidised schooling.Remove the taxpayer subsidy and watch the efficiencies follow.
Really beautiful work guys. Looking forward to the digital component hopefully being realised! Congrats to all the contributors.
As a strong supporter of public schools, I’m not sure how you can say this is gross and tone deaf in the light of COVID. They’re a business that hired an agency to make an ad about a point of difference of their girls school vs other girls schools. There’s not like there’s anything pandemic triggering about these spots. I don’t think you understand the definition of either of those words, which is concerning. I hope you’re not a copywriter.
I’m no media buyer but sledgehammer to hit a nail? Surely a more targeted approach than broadcast TV. What makes PLC any more ambitious than any other private school – or successful? A set of powerful images of young women?
As a female year 12 student, this campaign is not empowering. “Women can play any role but still be themselves”? What is this inferring? That a girl can pretend to be an engineer but in reality revert back to sexist values and adopt their place as wives and mothers. Women do not play the role, they are the role.
This is not empowering to women.. as an alumni of pymble laddies college I am embarrassed. I believe in empowering women in any way and am delighted at the thought although this has really missed the mark.. especially the video they have released with the campaign, it sends the message that only young women who go to an elite private school can change the world, that only young women who wear amazing hair and makeup will change the world.. these are YOUNG women.. why are they all glossed up with hair and makeup.. what happened to young women playing in the playground and in the science room or in the maths decathlon with normal hair and makeup, why do they have to be and look superior to change the world.. ?
Yes.
Is this a Netflix series?