No7 Targets the ‘Shecession’ in First Purpose-Driven Campaign in the U.S.

No7, a beauty brand owned by pharmacy giant Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), has unveiled what it described as its first purpose-driven ad campaign in the U.S. under the tagline “Unstoppable Together.”

The campaign seeks to highlight the magnitude and long-term economic impact of the pandemic on women, a pertinent topic as Covid-19 infections spiked in late fall and winter and then as women lost jobs in December even as their male counterparts gained, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Women are also exiting the labor force at four times the rate of men, said C. Nicole Mason, chief executive of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, in a statement. She referred to the economic toll on women as a “shecession.”

“The shecession is one of the biggest issues facing women today,” said Anisha Raghavan, CMO of global brands for the Americas at WBA. “Women are roughly half of the U.S workforce and key drivers of the economy—yet millions of women are leaving jobs due to the pandemic, setting decades of women’s progress back.”

Created by Berlin Cameron and VMLY&R, the film features a campaign mural by artist Sydney G. James and a cover of Marvin Gaye’s iconic What’s Going On by vocalist Ruby Amanfu. The personal care brand will also provide $100,000 worth of free coaching sessions from The Female Quotient on topics such as interviewing and networking. In addition, the company is releasing a female-produced film about the economic plight of women.

“The unequal impact of this recession jeopardizes the progress towards a more equitable society that women, and No7, have strived towards for decades,” Raghavan said.