The lead-up to International Women's Day has become a crucial period for brands to share stories of women's empowerment in China. With Chinese female consumers growing tired of flashy 'rah-rah' campaigns featuring celebrities endorsing feminist slogans, many brands are finding it challenging to tell feminist stories in ways that truly connect with everyday Chinese women. We selected six marketing cases for Women's Day that are resonating with Chinese female consumers in this article. They stand out for establishing emotional connections with women, which involves staging offline highly engaging events, empowering women through practical approaches, and telling authentic stories of ordinary yet remarkable women.

1. ‘WOMEN Speak Out’ Campaign in Chongqing Mall Combats Stigmatization of Women

Paradise Walk in Chongqing launched the 'WOMEN Speak Out' campaign to combat the stigmatization of women. In collaboration with its merchants, the mall used crosswalks, banners, and large ad screens as mediums to promote the destigmatization of these terms. This approach created visually impactful messages that amplified feminist voices.

Examples of the campaign's messages include:

It's not Goddess Day, nor is it Queen's Day, it's International Women's Day.
(不是女神节，也不是女王节，是三八妇女节。)
Pink is not a symbol of weakness; it can represent strength.
(粉色不是软弱，一样可以是力量。)
According to ‘Female Drivers’ statistics, as of 2019, there were 298 million male drivers and 137 million female drivers. Yet in traffic accidents, 94.6% of those at fault were men, with women only making up 5.4%.
(『女司机』数据显示，截止 2019 年男性驾驶员 2.98 亿，女性驾驶员 1.37 亿，交通事故肇事被告人中，男性比例 94.6%，女性占比为 5.4%。）

Women's Day Chongqing Paradise Walk mall — *Images: Weibo*

2. Hope Water '100 Girls Get Married' Offline Ceremony Advocates Self-Love

This year marks the third annual '100 Girls Get Married' campaign rolled out by Hope Water (好望水) , a rising herbal sparkling juice brand. Every March, the brand invites girls to wear wedding dresses to join this offline community event, which blends a party, fair, and exhibition into a unique 'wedding ceremony' experience. The event advocates for women's choice to wear a wedding dress as a step towards happiness, emphasizing self-love and marrying oneself as the start of true happiness.

*The '100 Girls Get Married' event. Image: Hope Water official.*

hope water brides on Womens Day — *During the 'Girls Talk' session, attendees from varied backgrounds to share their stories of women empowerment. Images: Hope Water official*

*By engaging with the fair guide and visiting stalls, attendees enjoyed the added bonus of receiving special gifts. Images: Hope Water official*

Hope Water's art exhibition as part of Women's Day celebrations in China — *Attendees were engaged in an art exhibition, free physical body check-ups from traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, and free legal consulting. Images: Hope Water official*

Happy girls at the party from Hope Water — *Happy girls at the party. Images: Hope Water official*

3. IKEA ‘Mulan Growth Spaces’ Project Empowers Mothers in Workplace

Juggling career growth with childcare has long been a challenge for women in the workplace. In late February, IKEA and the Ant Foundation (蚂蚁公益基金会) established ‘Mulan Growth Spaces’ (木兰成长空间) in five remote areas in China. These spaces serve to support after-school leisure activities of children, which spares mothers more time for their professional advancement. This project benefits over 400 children and alleviates over 300 women's burden of family responsibilities.

4. Nice Princess ‘Nice for Her’ Campaign Promotes ‘Girls Help Girls’ Power

Nice Princess (奈丝公主), a menstrual pad brand under Purcotton (全棉时代), has partnered with the China Women's Development Foundation to launch the 'Nice For Her' campaign, aiming to combat menstrual shame in China and promote the 'girls help girls' movement. As the campaign kicked off, Nice Princess released a short film titled 'Letters Between Girls,' based on true stories from anonymous letter messages of 300 ‘younger sister’ donatees and 2000 ‘older sister’ donators. The film depicts a girl from a remote rural area who regularly exchanges letters with her donator 'older sister.' The 'older sister' gives life advice and shares menstrual care knowledge with her, while the 'younger sister' offers mutual support and encouragement. The film showcases the heartwarming bonds of 'girls help girls,' pulling viewers’ heartstrings with its touching and authentic narrative and performances.

The Letters Between Girls, Nice Princess’ short film

Nice Princess is supporting women through practical actions! It has partnered with shopping malls, schools, and other public places to provide menstrual mutual aid boxes for emergency use. The brand also donates menstrual care packages to girls in impoverished Chinese villages, conducts menstrual health classes, and runs buy-and-donate activities in their stores. Furthermore, Nice Princess has published a menstrual picture book for both adult woman and teenager girls and designed a small handbag with the message 'Forgot your menstrual pad? Ask me' as brand gifts. These pragmatic actions and designs not only combat menstrual shame and stigma but also promote the strength of 'girls helping girls.'

Nice Princess instructions — *Guides for how to find menstrual mutual aid boxes for emergency use in university campus. Images: Nice Pricess on RED*

*Girls in remote rural areas received menstrual care packages from Nice Princess. Images: Nice Princess' account on RED*

Rural classes on menstrating — *Girls in less developed areas were in classes to learn menstrual care knowledge. Images: Nice Princess's account on RED*

Nice Princess menstrual handbook — *Nice Princess's menstrual picture book for both adult woman and teenager girls and a small handbag. Images: Nice Princess's account on RED*

5. SK-II, ‘Why Woman No Longer Conceal Themselves' Short Film, Celebrates Women Power from True Self

To celebrate International Women's Day, SK-II collaborated with Harper's Bazaar to launch a short film, ‘Why Woman No Longer Conceal Themselves,’ (她们为什么不Zhuang了). ‘Zhuang’ is Chinese pinyin for homophones ‘装’ meaning ‘conceal oneself’ and ‘妆’ meaning wearing makeup). It spotlights the brave journeys of five women from different age groups as they pursue their passions under societal pressures. They are not actresses, but women who are aged between 30 and 60 and loyal SK-II users. In the film, they feature makeup-free complexions and showcase their natural beauty coming from within. SK-II's signature anti-aging ingredient PITERA™ keeps their skin well nourished regardless of flying years, accompanying them in the journey of finding true and poised self.

‘Why Woman No Longer Conceal Themselves,’ 她们为什么不Zhuang了- SK-II’s short video for Women’s Day in China

6. Perfect Diary 'Ambition' Short Film Pays Tribute to Great Females

Perfect Diary teamed up with Xinhuanet to create a short film titled ‘Ambition,’ featuring four accomplished women from various backgrounds: Yao Rui, leader of the mechanical team at China's Sky Eye, former war correspondent Zhou Yijun, national martial arts champion Zhang Hanliang, and Dong Yilin, recipient of the highest award for stage art from the Chinese government. The film celebrates women who have contributed to societal and female progress over the last century. Perfect Diary's new product BiolipTM essence lipstick is showcased in the film, symbolizing the encouragement for women to pursue their ambitions relentlessly.

Perfect Diary Womens Day short film Ambition — *Perfect Diary's new product BiolipTM essence lipstick, Images: Perfect Diary official*

Perfect Diary x Xinhua Women's Day short moview

Perfect Diary x Xinhua Women's Day characters — Perfect Diary x Xinhuanet Women's Day short movie characters from ‘Ambition’

Perfect Diary x Xinhuanet Women's Day short movie, ‘Ambition’

Times are changing as Chinese consumers expect and connect with more thoughtful, authentic messaging directed at them.

Six marketing campaigns that stand out in China’s Women's Day battlefield