Gender Equality in Women's Sports Campaign | Clapboard Ad Archive

The Truth Has a Voice: Gender Equality

Description

The Truth Has a Voice: Gender Equality is a powerful film campaign launched in September 2019 in the United States, created for The New York Times by the acclaimed agency Droga5. This compelling piece harnesses the storytelling strength of The New York Times' journalism to shine a spotlight on the ongoing struggle women face for equal pay and fair treatment in the world of sports. Through a nuanced narrative, the campaign traces the historical and contemporary journeys of female athletes, underscoring the broader societal issues related to gender equality with authenticity and urgency. Positioned within the media industry, the campaign operates as a singular media asset that effectively combines visual storytelling with investigative strength. By leveraging The New York Times’ reputation for truth and integrity, this film engages viewers emotionally and intellectually, encouraging a deeper understanding of gender disparities and fostering a call to action for equality. With a simple yet potent message, enhanced by a strong journalistic perspective, the campaign invites audiences to explore more about the topic by visiting nytimes.com/truth, where users can engage further with in-depth content and stories. This communication strategy not only reinforces the brand’s commitment to social issues but also elevates the conversation around gender equality within sports, making it a significant contribution to both media advocacy and cultural discourse.

Credits

Client

The New York Times

Agency

Droga5

Production House

Droga5, USA

Music

Wave

More like this

The Playlist of the Decade - Spotify | Clapboard Ad Archive

Spotify’s The Playlist of the Decade campaign, developed for the US market in Year: 2019 and anchored in its broader media and entertainment positioning, exemplifies how a modern brand leverages cultural moments and compelling storytelling to assert its relevance and leadership. Building directly on the immense popularity of Wrapped 2019, this cinematic 90-second spot operates as an energetic city adventure, following a young protagonist on a quest to curate the quintessential playlist that captures the soundtrack of the 2010s—a decade defined by seismic shifts in music and podcast culture, as chronicled by Spotify. The campaign draws its narrative force from the tension between personal taste and pervasive social influence, as the central character weaves through a cross-section of urban life—roommates, neighbors, classmates, and strangers—each adamant that their pick belongs in the playlist. This rapid-fire, high-energy exchange crescendos to a pivotal decision: whether to bow to the growing chorus of opinions or carve out a playlist true to the protagonist’s own lived experience, making Spotify not only a stage for community voices but, crucially, the essential instrument of personal expression and reflection. What Clapboard’s taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#5—Exemplary Story—the campaign’s creative architecture relies on the streaming product itself not simply as a backdrop, but as the transformative tool at the heart of the plot’s resolution; Spotify, through its playlist curation and Wrapped feature, is what enables the culmination of the emotional and narrative arc. By casting the act of playlist assembly as both universal and highly personal—capitalizing on the year-end’s collective nostalgia for the 2010s—the campaign elevates Spotify above competitors like Apple Music (with its focus on exclusivity and device integration), Amazon Music (with its utility and pricing), and Tidal (with its fidelity and artist-first position), defining the brand in terms of emotional connection, participatory culture, and generational relevance. With over 82,000 views and audience engagement measured in thousands of likes and dozens of comments, the campaign ratifies Spotify’s authority as the definitive archive and curator of personal and collective musical memory, bringing to life its brand promise of meaningful engagement. Clapboard rates this 69/100. For a sector battling platform parity and ever-shifting consumer touchpoints, Spotify’s campaign demonstrates that the most resonant stories frame the product as the emotional engine behind cultural participation.

Campaign Proposition

The campaign "The Truth Has a Voice: Gender Equality" by The New York Times leverages the brand’s core proposition of rigorous, truth-driven journalism to underscore its commitment to exposing and addressing social inequalities. Central to the campaign is the promise that The New York Times not only reports facts but amplifies underrepresented voices, particularly in the context of women's ongoing struggle for equal pay and fair treatment in sports. By positioning itself as a platform where truth and justice find expression, the brand aims to strengthen its identity as a trusted, socially conscious news source that contributes meaningfully to public discourse on gender equality. Strategically, the campaign uses a narrative format to trace the historical and contemporary fight for gender parity in sports, an area emblematic of broader societal disparities. This insight taps into a culturally resonant issue that appeals to socially aware and progressive audiences who value integrity and activism in media. By highlighting the New York Times’ investigative and storytelling capabilities, the campaign aligns the brand with the values of transparency, fairness, and empowerment. The use of film as the medium brings a humanized and emotional dimension to the journalistic content, fostering deeper engagement. The targeting focuses on viewers in the United States, particularly those interested in news, sports, and social justice, leveraging a timely conversation around gender equality to reinforce brand relevance and authority. Overall, the campaign integrates editorial integrity with a purposeful social message, reinforcing The New York Times’ role not just as a media outlet but as an active participant in societal progress.

Creative Device

FORMAT#10 ASSOCIATED USER IMAGERY — Shows a user profile the target audience can relate to or aspire to. This campaign, “The Truth Has a Voice: Gender Equality,” focuses on tracing women’s fight for equal pay and treatment in sports through the lens of The New York Times journalism. The narrative genre and campaign description indicate the spotlight is on real women athletes and advocates—a representative group whose struggles and aspirations the audience can identify with or admire. Rather than telling a singular story (Exemplary Story) or using overt symbols, exaggeration, comparison, or direct product demonstration, the ad leverages relatability and social identification. Communicating via journalistic storytelling (NYT’s coverage lens) further roots the campaign’s creative technique in authentic, user-focused imagery, making Associated User Imagery the most fitting creative device here. ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats

You Just Might Surprise Yourself - Pinterest | Clapboard Ad Archive — archive collection thumbnail

You Just Might Surprise Yourself - Pinterest | Clapboard Ad Archive

Pinterest’s You Just Might Surprise Yourself campaign, developed in 2021 by Droga5 for the US media and entertainment market, captures a core tension in digital culture: the consumer yearning for discovery and personal inspiration in a feed-driven world often reduced to repetition and self-reference. Instead of leaning on celebrity sheen or overt narrative closure, Droga5’s film content places Pinterest users at the center, visually aligning audience aspirations with the freedoms of the platform — a choice squarely within Clapboard’s FORMAT#10—Associated User Imagery approach, where the campaign foregrounds relatable profiles that viewers can easily see themselves in or strive toward. This creative decision reinforces Pinterest’s strategic positioning as more than a passive content library: it becomes a living, breathing space for self-exploration and creative serendipity, where the promise is not about delivering prescribed inspiration but about enabling the user to uncover unexpected facets of their own interests. By upending the tired tropes of product demonstration or influencer endorsement and instead focusing on the emotional delight of simple, everyday discovery, the campaign carves out distinctiveness in a landscape crowded by brands vying for fleeting attention. The execution uses visually engaging and emotionally resonant vignettes that prompt viewers to imagine their own untapped creative potential, leveraging the film medium’s narrative power without heavy-handedness or instructions. With clear, concise calls to action directing users to mobile app marketplaces, the campaign is as functional as it is expressive, driving both awareness and adoption. At a time when rival platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat compete on the axes of social connection, trend virality, or ephemeral entertainment, Pinterest’s narrative here signals a reorientation toward depth over virality, self-expression over social performativity. The campaign earns 72/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. With this work, Pinterest and Droga5 demonstrate that a platform’s greatest cultural value lies not just in presenting ideas, but in sparking authentic moments of personal transformation and creative surprise.

Toy Story 4 - Official Trailer - Toy Story 4 | Clapboard Ad Archive — archive collection thumbnail

Toy Story 4 - Official Trailer - Toy Story 4 | Clapboard Ad Archive

Toy Story 4’s official trailer campaign in 2019 delivers a masterclass in cinematic storytelling that positions the film’s characters as the central narrative drivers while reinforcing the brand’s emotional core within the movies industry. Crafted for Disney•Pixar and promoted primarily through social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, the campaign leverages the official trailer’s single film medium asset to engage both nostalgic longtime fans and new viewers by showcasing Woody’s transformative journey beyond his traditional role as a child’s trusted toy. The introduction of Forky, a quirky new companion, alongside familiar faces, injects fresh narrative tension and adventure, inviting audiences into a heartfelt road trip that explores themes of friendship, identity, and discovery. This approach aligns with what Clapboard’s taxonomy defines as FORMAT#5 EXEMPLARY STORY — where the product is integral to the plot and resolution — as the trailer balances character development with a compelling story arc that teases emotional stakes and growth, positioning the film as both a continuation and evolution of the Toy Story legacy. The campaign’s strategic use of the hashtag #ToyStory4 and official channels ensures sustained visibility and conversation in the lead-up to the theatrical release on June 21, 2019, amplifying anticipation through immersive and emotionally resonant storytelling paired with innovative animation techniques that remain faithful to the brand’s identity. The seamless blend of nostalgia, adventure, and heartfelt moments within the trailer underscores the franchise’s enduring appeal and Disney•Pixar’s ability to evolve its properties without sacrificing core values. This campaign earns 79/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. Toy Story 4’s official trailer campaign matters because it demonstrates how film marketing in the entertainment category can deepen audience engagement by embedding the product within a narrative that expands the brand’s cultural relevance while maintaining its emotional resonance.

The Evolving Music Video, starring Ella Mai V.1 - GRAMMY Awards | Clapboard Ad Archive — archive collection thumbnail

The Evolving Music Video, starring Ella Mai V.1 - GRAMMY Awards | Clapboard Ad Archive

The GRAMMY Awards campaign The Evolving Music Video, starring Ella Mai V.1, created by TBWA for the United States market in 2019, redefined the relationship between music video and audience by launching the world’s first evolving music video format, a concept that sits squarely in Clapboard’s FORMAT#11 UNIQUE PERSONALITY PROPERTY category. This pioneering film campaign leveraged Ella Mai’s breakthrough hit Boo'd Up to embody the dynamic transformation of music consumption in the digital age, where the video itself changes and develops with every view and share, inviting fans into a participatory experience rather than passive observation. This approach positioned the GRAMMYs not only as a guardian of music heritage but as an innovator embracing the evolving landscape of entertainment, reflecting the Recording Academy’s commitment to honoring music’s past, present, and future. By driving audiences to a dedicated platform, grammysevolving.com, the campaign created a digital hub where viewers could explore every iteration of the video, reinforcing the notion that music and its visual storytelling are fluid and continuously reimagined. The campaign’s integration with social media channels Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, amplified by hashtags including #EllaMai, #BoodUp, #GRAMMYs, and #LetsHearIt, maximized reach and engagement by fostering a communal space for fans to connect around the evolving narrative. TBWA’s creative strategy emphasized the unique personality of the evolving video format as the campaign’s central asset, rather than relying on traditional storytelling or problem-solution dynamics, thus underscoring the GRAMMYs’ role as a culturally relevant, forward-thinking institution in the music industry and entertainment media. This campaign earns 79/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. The Evolving Music Video campaign matters because it demonstrates how music marketing can transcend conventional formats by embedding audience interaction into the creative core, signaling a shift toward adaptive, technology-driven storytelling in entertainment branding.

Draw Me A Penis - Canadian National Film Board | Clapboard Ad Archive — archive collection thumbnail

Draw Me A Penis - Canadian National Film Board | Clapboard Ad Archive

Draw Me A Penis, created by Rethink for the Canadian National Film Board in 2019, is a daring and insightful campaign that confronts the persistent cultural ignorance surrounding female sexual pleasure by leveraging a bold symbolic device that sits squarely in Clapboard’s FORMAT#3—Symbolize the Problem. By inviting users to draw a penis—an act culturally familiar and effortlessly executed by most—the campaign exposes the stark contrast in public knowledge about the clitoris, an anatomical feature that remains shrouded in taboo and misunderstanding despite its centrality to female pleasure. Launched to coincide with International Women’s Day and developed in partnership with Université du Québec à Montréal, Draw Me A Penis introduces Clit-me, a five-minute interactive mobile game that educates users through playful engagement, allowing them to explore various motion techniques on a clitoris avatar to discover what triggers satisfaction. This gamified experience transforms education into interaction, cleverly using humor and digital interactivity to dismantle myths and provoke a broader conversation about the orgasm gap and sexual health literacy. The campaign’s use of FORMAT#3 emphasizes the overrepresentation of phallic imagery in media and society as a metaphor for the neglect of female pleasure, making the problem visible through analogy rather than explicit exposition. The Canadian National Film Board’s commitment to socially relevant storytelling is evident in the campaign’s ability to blend entertainment with empowerment, positioning Draw Me A Penis as a public interest initiative that challenges entrenched stigmas while providing accessible, research-backed knowledge. Clapboard rates this campaign 79/100. This campaign matters to the advertising industry because it demonstrates how taboo subjects can be addressed with creativity and interactivity that engage audiences meaningfully while advancing public health conversations in the media and entertainment category.

Poo-moji - | Clapboard Ad Archive — archive collection thumbnail

Poo-moji - | Clapboard Ad Archive

Poo-moji, created by Rethink for its own agency self-promo, marked a decade of the Poop Emoji by transforming the world’s cheekiest icon into 50 distinct variations, a campaign that stands out as both a cultural tribute and a showcase of creative prowess within Canada’s media and entertainment market in 2018. At its core, the campaign is a strategic love letter to the digital language that has shaped modern communication, leveraging the instantly recognizable Poop Emoji to both amuse and inspire, while drawing industry attention to Rethink’s inventiveness and artistic flexibility. By collaborating with Toronto-based photographer and visual artist Justin Poulsen, Rethink elevated agency self-promotion beyond the predictable, adopting what Clapboard’s taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#11—Unique Personality Property—for its pure celebration of a singular icon’s enduring resonance. The 50 reinterpretations, each distinct in style and execution, reframed the emoji’s playful DNA for a broad audience that spans industry peers, creative clients, and anyone fluent in the humor and subculture of emojis, making the familiar feel surprising again without the crutch of testimonials, product demos, or narrative arcs. Instead, Poo-moji’s punch lies in its unapologetic focus on originality and cultural literacy: the campaign banks on the emoji’s universal recognition and affectionate irreverence, mining nostalgia and contemporary relevance in equal measure, and acts as a masterclass in how a creative agency can differentiate by setting the conversation rather than chasing it. Eschewing overt messaging or commercial tactics, Rethink lets sheer visual wit become the mechanism for engagement, subtly reaffirming its own brand as culturally attuned, fearless, and dexterous in the crowded world of agency self-promo. Unbounded by the constraints of a typical product-led brief, Poo-moji demonstrates how humour and reimagination can reinforce an agency’s distinct personality while building emotional equity around a symbol that everyone has used, seen, and loved. The campaign earns 67/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. Poo-moji matters to the industry because it reminds agencies that the bold repackaging of cultural touchstones can turn even the most familiar symbol into a canvas for originality, as long as the creative intent is delivered with clarity and conviction.