Brands and agencies celebrate International Women’s Day

Today marks the International Women’s Day today and many brands and agencies around the region have stepped up to the occasion to bring to awareness the larger issues facing women today.According to statistics provided by media monitoring agency Isentia, online chatter regarding International Women's Day peaked during midweek as well as today (8 March) for both Singapore and Malaysia. The trends were observed through media monitoring over the period of 1 to 8 March.In Singapore, the buzz on 4 March was primarily due to retweets of Nicole Kidman campaigning for people to sign a petition for the occasion. The highest peak of online buzz was observed today (8 March) due to various brands making references to International Women's Day.Across the causeway, Malaysia saw a similar buzz pattern as Singapore, where online buzz peaked on 3 March, due to a commemoration Facebook post by SilkAir which was well received by netizens. The highest peak for Malaysia was also on 8 March, due to several brands making related posts to International Women's Day.1. ZaloraZalora Singapore has launched a Go Red For Women campaign in accordance to International Women's Day, in order to spread awareness and empower women to take charge of their own health. Heart disease, which is the number two killer of women in Singapore, is highlighted in the campaign.2. ANZThis year's theme for International Women's Day is #PledgeForParity, and ANZ Australia has started a dialogue regarding pay parity by capturing the pure innocent reactions of boys and girls after being given different amounts of pocket money.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efrWsA0Q9U4Imagine how your daughter would feel if she was given less pocket money than your son? To mark International Women's Day today and it’s theme of pay parity, we asked kids how they would feel. Watch their response and let’s change things for a more #equalfuturePosted by ANZ Australia on Monday, March 7, 20163. Air IndiaIn their spirit to #SaluteWomen, Air India has achieved the world record for the 'world's longest all-women flight' from Dehli to San Francisco.[gallery link="file" ids="128781,128782"]The close to 17-hour flight was completed on yesterday (March 7). Today, on International Women's Day itself, all 22 of Air India's flights will have an all-women flight crew, from pilots, cabin crew, air traffic control, check-in staff, and even the entire ground-handling staff.4. BBDO AsiaBBDO Asia launched a digital campaign to get women talking about their experience with the 'confidence gap', which is the habit of doubting one's own abilities and competence despite the reality proving otherwise.The campaign video titled '#ConfrontTheConfidenceGap' featured female professionals from brands such as HP, Fonterra, and Visa. A quick poll on the campaign's Tumblr site found that majority (95%) of respondents can relate to the experience.5. MicrosoftMicrosoft has launched a #MakeWhatsNext campaign video in accordance with International Women's Day this year, celebrating women inventors, how they have changed the world, and are inspiring the next generation.The video saw young women being asked to name women inventors, and struggling to do so. The campaign highlights Microsoft's YouthSpark program, which aims to help young people, particularly women, get access to tools and training to empower them through computer science.6. FoodpandaTo commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day, foodpanda celebrates powerful and influential women behind some of the most popular F&B establishments and restaurants in Singapore. Emma Heap, MD of Foodpanda Singapore, has launched a platform for female leaders in F&B to share their business stories and challenges in the progression of the industry.Their online magazine will be dedicating features throughout the week, including Katherine Braha-Desbaillets, Director of SaladStop!, Karen Chan, Chief Digital Officer of Pizza Hut, Hwai Bin and Hwai Chi, the twin sisters who own Yoğart, Zenna Ho, Director of Eight Treasures Group and Charlotte Bruce, VP APAC of Quandoo (pictured). 7. Titan RagaPopular watch brand, Titan Raga, uploaded a campaign video for International Women's Day, titled '#BreakTheBias', in hopes of bringing to light how the success of women are viewed under gender stereotypes. The video is set in an office meeting, where a person named Kiran is mentioned for a promotion.https://youtu.be/hNqwBTCslMwThe name leads the team to imagine a young lady who is working closely with her boss, which some may classify as inappropriate behaviour. The scene goes on until it is revealed that Kiran is in fact, a man. Some said the video portrays workplace sexism with a twist, while some Facebook users have commented that the message would have been stronger if Kiran was imagined as a man, but revealed as a woman instead.Written by Wong Jeng Teng.