Every year on International Women’s Day, the world takes a moment to celebrate the achievements, resilience and influence of women everywhere. But beyond celebration, it is also a moment for reflection, an opportunity to recognise the work still to be done and the power the media industry has to shape culture, challenge stereotypes and champion equality.
In the media industry, campaigns have the ability to reach millions, shift perceptions and spark global conversations. When brands use that power to elevate women’s voices, tell authentic stories and create meaningful change, the impact goes far beyond marketing, it becomes cultural.
At Festival of Media, we are constantly inspired by the campaigns submitted into our awards programmes that celebrate women, empower communities and challenge outdated narratives. This International Women’s Day, we’re shining a light on a few of our favourite award-winning campaigns that have put women front and centre.
If you’ve created work that deserves to be seen, celebrated and benchmarked against the very best in the industry, now is the time to share it with the world.
Visa Pep Talks: Lighting up Women’s Football with Hope, Not Hate
Created by Starcom Worldwide, Visa Pep Talks: Lighting up Women’s Football with Hope, Not Hate won an award at the M&M Global Awards 2025.
In partnership with Visa and DAZN during the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the campaign introduced an interactive Fan Zone where fans could send messages of support directly to players during live matches.
The initiative transformed match-day conversation from criticism and online negativity into a powerful stream of encouragement and positivity. By amplifying fan voices and celebrating the athletes on the pitch, the campaign helped shift the narrative around women’s football, highlighting passion, pride and community rather than hostility.
To explore more winners from the M&M Global Awards, visit the Festival of Media website.
Watch the full campaign here:
Real Beauty Redefined for the AI Era
Created by Mindshare USA, Real Beauty Redefined for the AI Era won an award at the Festival of Media Cause Campaign Awards 2025.
Celebrating 20 years of its groundbreaking Real Beauty Pledge, Dove partnered with Pinterest to launch Real Beauty DNA, an interactive experience designed to redefine how beauty is represented in the age of artificial intelligence.
Women were invited to define beauty themselves through a diverse range of images, characteristics and identities. The data was then used to influence AI algorithms, ensuring that future image generation and search results better reflect the diversity of real women.
In a digital era where algorithms increasingly shape perception, this campaign tackled a critical issue, ensuring technology reflects reality, not narrow ideals.
To explore more winners from the Cause Campaign Awards, visit the Festival of Media website.
Watch the full campaign here:
The KITA Initiative: Making Women-Owned Businesses Seen, One Sign at a Time
Created by Havas Philippines, The KITA Initiative also won an award at the Festival of Media Cause Campaign Awards 2025.
Partnering with SPARK! Philippines, the campaign set out to increase the visibility of women entrepreneurs across Quezon City.
Using a custom font inspired by Filipina heritage, the initiative transformed everyday shop signage into powerful statements celebrating women-owned businesses. Storefronts across the city became visible symbols of female entrepreneurship, sparking conversations and helping women-led SMEs gain greater recognition within their communities.
Sometimes the most powerful media doesn’t live on screens, it lives on the streets, in neighbourhoods and within everyday life.
To explore more winners from the Cause Campaign Awards, visit the Festival of Media website.
Watch the full campaign here:
The Final Copy of Ilon Specht
More than 50 years after one of advertising’s most iconic lines was written, The Final Copy of Ilon Specht finally gave credit where it was long overdue.
Created by Beauty Co-Lab for L’Oréal Paris, the campaign won an award at the Festival of Media North America Awards 2025.
In 1973, copywriter Ilon Specht wrote the words “Because I’m Worth It”, a phrase that would become one of the most famous slogans in advertising history. Yet for decades, her authorship remained largely unknown.
Through a powerful documentary launched at Tribeca X, the campaign restored Specht’s rightful place in advertising history and reignited the slogan’s enduring message of self-worth and empowerment.
It was not just a campaign about a line of copy, it was a campaign about recognising the women behind the words that shape culture.
To explore more winners from the Festival of Media North America Awards, visit the Festival of Media website.
Watch the full campaign here:
We are celebrating the work that moves the industry forward. These campaigns are powerful reminders of the role media can play in championing women, amplifying voices and driving meaningful change.
From sport and entrepreneurship to technology and AI, each piece of work demonstrates how media thinking can help shape a more inclusive world.
If you’ve created a campaign that deserves to be recognised alongside the very best in the industry, now is the time to share it.
Enter your work today and ensure it gets the global recognition it deserves.
