LUX empowers women in China to take control of their identities

Unilever's beauty brand LUX has empowered women through “Reclaim her name”, a campaign and digital tool designed to help women transform outdated and sexist names into powerful, modern alternatives - simply by shaking their mobile phones.

Developed in collaboration with creative agency VML Singapore, the campaign encourages women in China to take control of their identity through the practice of "self-renaming". It enables them to replace traditional, stereotypical names with new, empowering versions that reflect their modern selves.

This initiative was created based on the phenomenon that millions of women in China bear names rooted in outdated and shockingly sexist conventions, according to the release. Names that emphasise fragility, weakness, or even a parental preference for boys, such as Zhao Di (“I wish I had a boy”), Ya Nan (“Second to man”), and Sheng Nan (“Bear me a boy”) are disturbingly common, serving as a constant reminder of deeply rooted gender bias.

The “Reclaim her name” tool is accessible via China’s three leading social platforms including WeChat, Weibo, and Rednote, ensuring widespread reach among its target audience. Women simply enter their current name into the tool and shake their phone. The tool uses AI to generate a new name that retains the essence of the original, preserving characters, sounds, and meanings, while creating a modern, empowering identity.

If the first suggestion doesn’t resonate, a simple shake generates another. The process continues until a name resonates, allowing women to reclaim their identity with a name that truly reflects who they are today.

Since its launch, over 14,000 new names have been created through “Reclaim her name”, making a powerful statement about identity, empowerment, and the enduring strength of women’s voices, according to the release.

“Reclaim her name” is based on an ancient source of feminist inspiration: Nu-Shu, the only known language created by women for women. This secret language for women was first created during the Song Dynasty. Unlike traditional Chinese characters, this secret language was exclusively used by women and passed down through generations as a way to express emotions, share stories in a patriarchal society that often sought to silence them.

Additionally, the “Reclaim her name” tool features a new typeface called the “New women’s font”, inspired by Nu Shu’s elegant, coded strokes.

Judy Zu, global brand director, LUX, said: “Each Chinese character is an alchemy of sound and symbol: the same strokes, rearranged, weave blessings or critiques. At LUX, we believe every woman deserves a name that becomes a mirror to her strength and a compass for her journey. Yet, even today, profound bias still lurks behind many women’s names. That’s why we created Reclaim Her Name: not just to rename, but to reignite. Because every woman can - and should - sculpt her identity unapologetically, just as characters transform with every stroke, so can we.”

Marco Versolato, chief creative officer, VML Singapore, said: “Inspired by an ancient, secret language created only for women, we’re rewriting sexist traditions to create meaningful new names that reflect the spirit of modern, dynamic women in China.”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to LUX for more information.

Don't miss: LUX modernises Chinese women's names with new social campaign

Back in April 2024, LUX unveiled a social campaign “In her name” to challenge unconscious bias and highlight the power of a new name. This came as the brand realised a name given at birth doesn’t accurately reflect a person’s authentic self and true potential - a particular issue in China, but also other countries globally.  

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