Background

Our start point was to build Shell brand awareness and trust, increase brand preference and so sales of present and future products and services. In delivering these business objectives, the campaign is also making a major contribution to the inclusion and empowerment of India’s 250m+ women in a category traditionally seen as masculine and product focused. India is an important growth market for lubricants and fuels within Shell’s broader ‘Powering Progress’ strategy. The business starts from a relatively low base – awareness and knowledge of Shell is limited, and engagement with Indian consumers low, reflecting a lack of personality and low affinity with brands in the category in general. ‘Powering Progress’ is how Shell sees its role in the world and how it goes to market. Powering Progress means powering lives and livelihoods across genders and strata through its products and activities, and by supporting an inclusive society.

Describe the cultural / social / political climate in your region and the significance of your campaign within this context

India remains a patriarchal society in which women still experience inequalities in all aspects of life, not least economically – with female labour-force participation rates of only 20.5% in 2019 (source, ILO), pre-pandemic. Lack of mobility is a huge constraint, with women generally discouraged from travelling far for work. Those who do work tend to do so at or near home, usually in traditional areas like teaching, food preparation, nursing, dressmaking. ‘Powering Progress’ fits the Indian cultural Zeitgeist – aspiration and ambition are the engines that drive India. And mobility has a pivotal role in the ‘Indian dream’– as well as a bridge to the benefits of Shell products and services. Creative development built on the insight of ‘Great things can happen when Indians move’. We explored a wide range of stories of Shell’s commitment to powering Indians’ mobility through its products and services, so that they can embark on the journey towards their goals. Those that resonated most strongly, amongst both men and women, were those that challenged stereotypes of a section of Indian society less associated with movement than most – women.

Describe the creative idea

Our creative idea is crystallised by the line: Great things happen when we move ambitiously towards our dreams. Powerfully expressed through authentic, surprising and inspiring stories of exceptional women pursuing their dream breaking through the mobility barrier – showing how breaking this barrier can liberate, unburden and bring joy to their lives. Mobility is embedded into the daily lives of the women who star as they embark on the journey of achieving their goals. Shell’s role as an enabler of mobility and women’s empowerment is integral to each story – with travel at the heart of each protagonist’s success, and men included through constructive and empathetic supportive roles in each story. The idea’s impact is amplified by the unexpectedness (versus gender stereotypes) of the roles that our women play and how they are represented – and the progressiveness of an empowering female focus within a traditionally masculine and product-focused category.

Describe the strategy

Our challenge is to cut through and create real meaning in the lives of Indians, in a way that connects to the benefits that Shell’s products and services offer. Our target market is broad, but we applied the lens of mobility. Mobility has a pivotal role in Indian’s aspirations – as well as providing a bridge to the benefits of Shell products and services. It’s a platform that resonates strongly with lives of the many Indians that value mobility particularly highly – physically, socially, economically. We explored this further in cultural analysis and focus groups with energy-engaged millennials, male and female, in terms of physical and social mobility. This led us to our breakthrough moment: Great things can happen when Indians move. In creative development we learned from research – amongst men and women – that this insight was most powerfully expressed through the stories of women who challenge stereotypes.

Describe the execution

The campaign launched a few days before International Women’s Day on 8 March and delivered 106m reach via TV and digital channels and 42m+ additional video views in a 6-week period. In 3 initial films, Shell showcases 3 incredible women who followed their dreams to challenge female stereotypes: • Yogita Raghuvanshi – lawyer, single mother, India’s first woman truckdriver • Geeta Tandon – child bride, canteen cook, Bollywood’s leading stuntwoman • Sumitra Senapati – home-maker, travel writer, founder of Women on Wanderlust Supporting activity engaged macro and micro influencers on Instagram and via #MoveWithShell on Twitter. Owned media content (building on our 3 inspiring stories) was developed for Facebook and Twitter, and amplified through paid promotion. We partnered with the Better India digital platform to share human interest stories of women challenging stereotypes by breaking through the mobility barrier; and worked with YourStory to host an online panel.

Describe the results / impact

Just weeks from the start of what is planned as a long-running campaign, it quickly established itself as an influential force in challenging female stereotypes and the barriers to women’s mobility: • Around International Women’s Day #MoveWithShell trended at No.2 in India • Mentions by 4 Instagram Macro-Influencers and 54 Micro-Influencers drove over 13m video views • Related PR reached 42.6m Asset-testing by Ipsos MORI shows powerful impact on key brand metrics by comparing a control group to groups exposed to the campaign assets (average for the 3 45s versions tested)**. • Positive trust +79% (vs. 63% control) • Positive contribution to society +79% (vs. 58% control) • Enable people to move freely +79% (vs. 61% control) • Advocacy +81% (vs. 58% control) • Closeness +82% (vs. 63% control) A typical message takeout verbatim: “A women is capable to do anything she thinks”. ** See Judges information for more details.