P&G expands Pantene PH #WhipIt as global campaign

Procter & Gamble is expanding its gender inequality campaign for Pantene Philippines dubbed #WhipIt globally, after it became an internet sensation, attracting over 5.9 million views on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOjNcZvwjxI&feature=player_embeddedThe global push is called #ShineStrong, “an effort to help create a larger platform to educate and awaken everyone to these perceptions and stereotypes,” P&G said in a statement.“Pantene and P&G brands reach billions of women around the world, and we want to use this scale and influence to be an agent of change.  We are excited about this global #ShineStrong campaign to help women embrace their strength and shine,” Deb Henretta, group president for P&G Global Beauty, said.The first phase of the #ShineStrong campaign will encourage women to join the movement by asking them to share their #ShineStrong moment with Pantene at www.pantene.com/shinestrong . Five winners will be awarded an all-expense paid trip to a major women's leadership summit this summer for them and a friend.The viral video, via BBDO Guerrero, exposes hidden gender double standards in the workplace—a prevalent theme in Filipino culture, where the notion still exists that women cannot be too assertive or strong-willed when it comes to getting what they want.It was originally online in early November as a lead up to a women gender bias forum called “#WHIPIT: Women beating the odds” in partnership with social news network Rappler.The study it featured, conducted by Laylo Research Strategies from 26 to 31 October this year, revealed that 70% of men still think that women need to downplay their personality to be accepted.Already surpassing the one million mark in YouTube, #WhipIt went even more viral after Sheryl Sandberg, author and COO of Facebook, posted a link to the video on her personal Facebook page, saying, “This is one of the most powerful videos I have ever seen illustrating how when women and men do the same things, they are seen in completely different ways. Really worth watching. Lean In prize of the day for sure!”To date, #WhipIt has racked up 12,832,529 views on YouTube and growing.