Why is this work relevant for Media?

In a year when women’s safety took up more of the conversation than ever, UNWA wanted to provide a practical way for girls to feel less vulnerable and more in control of their experience. #EmpowerMoves enabled us to reach our target audience of younger girls where they are – TikTok – using a language they were fluent in – TikTok dances. By using the dance format, girls could learn the dances before being targeted with the meaning behind the moves a few days later. This approach allowed us to reach a bigger audience organically than we would have with

Background

In a year when women’s safety took up more of the conversation than ever, UN Women Australia wanted to provide a practical way for girls to feel less vulnerable and more in control of their experience. #EmpowerMoves enabled us to reach our target audience of younger girls where they are – TikTok – using a language they were fluent in – TikTok dances. By using the dance format, girls could learn the dances before being targeted with the meaning behind the moves a few days later. This approach allowed us to reach a bigger audience organically than if we’d used traditional media.

Describe the creative idea / insights (30% of vote)

#EmpowerMoves is the first TikTok dance made of self-defence moves, launching on International Day of the Girl. Created by working with a self-defence expert Rita Matty from SheFightsBack, and a choreographer Karla Mura, the dance was cleverly based around a sequence of four simple easy to remember self-defence moves. We launched this organically as a TikTok dance trend, prompting users to jump on board and learn the moves for themselves, before revealing in detail the moves behind the dance. The choice of format and medium was intrinsic to the idea, leveraging a native behaviour. We needed girls to get involved in a way that felt positive and empowering rather than fearmongering, so the tone and energy of the creative, and the authenticity and relatability of the instructor was paramount.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

The theme for International Day of the Girl (IDOTG) 2021 was ‘Digital Generation’ and with over a quarter of Australia's Generation Alpha, and 20% of GenZ on TikTok (skewing female) it was the perfect platform where we could talk directly to our target audience. The challenge was how we talk to them without being didactic or too preachy – we knew we had to speak to them in language they would understand.  So we deliberately released the campaign on TikTok without mentioning UNWA to get girls on board, before the big reveal.  We knew the issue of self-defence was a tough one – Empower Moves wasn’t intended to be the solution to the larger problem, its aim is to create awareness and help girls feel less vulnerable and more empowered. As a result, what started as a series of dance moves turned into a movement that reached young girls everywhere.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The campaign had two stages across 10 days. We launched the dance on TikTok 5 days prior to IDOTG via our choreographer, Karla Mura, and a diverse selection of influencers to look like a typical trending dance. The day before IDOTG the Hashtag Challenge dropped, revealing to the world that hidden within the dance was a selection of self-defence moves created by martial arts expert Rita Matty. For the Hashtag Challenge we released breakdown videos that talked girls through each move. On IDOTG itself we extended the campaign to OOH and other social channels – partnering with entertainment pages like Nova and Mamma Mia to reach our target audience and direct girls to the UNWA TikTok Hashtag Challenge page to join the movement. As well as TikTok in-feed and top of page Topview Ad, and branded assets in TV and radio to further raise awareness of the cause.

List the results (30% of vote)

The dance took off, the song became number 3 on the viral TikTok chart, and TikTok influencers, TV personalities, and even Australian of The Year, Grace Tame, were among the thousands of people who shared their #EmpowerMoves videos. We achieved 500 million views of the Empower Moves Hashtag Challenge page (177% above benchmark), and 130 million video views worldwide, plus a reach of 62.5 million people worldwide. This included 68% of all monthly active TikTok users in Australia. Social and media coverage delivered a phenomenal ROI of 4,924% for UNWA, with 40 pieces of coverage and over 300,000 media impressions. UN Women Australia didn’t have a TikTok account or presence prior to this campaign. #EmpowerMoves opened them up to a whole new audience, generating 6,890 followers and over 100,000 likes on their posted videos – reaching their goal of growing the awareness of UNWA among a younger audience on IDOTG.