Traditionally marketers have referred to the consumers as “she,” bowing to the conventional wisdom that women make most buying decisions. Marketers appeal to women every day – according to the American Marketing Association, they make 75% of consumer purchasing decisions.
But brands are still putting on an extra effort for Women’s History Month, the annual celebration in March, and many made a strong showing for International Women’s Day, which was observed on March 8. The observance has brought out a number of brands normally associated with women and girls, such as Mattel’s Barbie, but a number of less-obvious brands have also embraced the celebration to break new ground with women consumers.
Many marketers have pulled away from generic celebratory messages to create campaigns featuring female role models and women’s issues, such as the concerns of women in healthcare or transportation. Many have tapped athletes, artists and other creators to spotlight their message with collaborations and special events.
Uber took the opportunity to showcase Women Preferences, a set of features in the rideshare app designed to give women the choice to ride with women. The new features were designed based on feedback from women who are prioritizing safety while riding cabs, says Brooke Anderson, head of product communications of Uber.
“It’s still pretty new so we want to raise awareness and encourage more women to take the wheel,” says Anderson. “We saw an opportunity to celebrate game-changing women while also shining a light on a feature designed with them in mind.”
The Gamechangers campaign features a series of short films showing elite female athletes such as Olympians Ilona Maher, Alex Morgan and Jordan Chiles. The films, released on social media throughout the month, show the athletes in conversations with women who drive Uber cars, talking about topics of independence and finding their space in industries traditionally dominated by men.
Uber is also using the campaign to encourage more women to sign up as drivers. It chose that focus after noting that only 1 out of 5 of its U.S. drivers are female, and the ratio is even lower in the industry as a whole. Women’s sports are having a well-earned moment, Anderson says, so it makes sense to use these athletes to get the word out to women about the option of driving for Uber.
“Pairing them with women drivers for authentic conversations about resilience, confidence, and control felt like a natural way to present driving in a new light. These are women who know what it takes to break barriers,” Anderson says. “The campaign highlights something powerful: women are changing the game everywhere – in sports, in business, and behind the wheel. And if you see it, you can do it too .
“Just the right thing to do”
Uber is not the only brand to step back from generic Women’s Month greetings and encourage women to take the wheel—either literally or metaphorically. Some marketers have tapped into messages encouraging women to take control of their future, especially their financial picture.
Insurance company Group 1001 announced it had signed nine professional women’s soccer players as brand ambassadors for its Gainbridge annuity subsidiary, and will be making appearances and producing exclusive social media content during the season. The announcement was part of an expansion of Gainbridge’s commitment to the league it started sponsoring in 2025.
“Investing in women’s sports isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s smart business,” said Mike Nichols, chief of sponsorship strategy and activation at Group 1001, in a press release. “These athletes inspire millions, and we’re proud to make this announcement following International Women’s Day.”
Some marketers also dovetailed their WHM efforts with fundraisers and cause marketing. Shoot 360, a chain of basketball training centers, took aim at increasing the participation of girls in sports, and also teamed up with Convoy of Hope, a disaster-relief nonprofit. It launched HER Month, a nationwide initiative to help close that gender gap by encouraging growing participation among female athletes with girls-focused events, a partnership with Nike to hold girls basketball clinics and a partnership with former WNBA player Tayler Hill. Shoot 360 will also raise funds for Convoy of Hope and contribute a portion of Her Month merchandise sales to the charity.
The effort means to help create a movement that extends beyond the court, say Shoot 360’s management. Building growth in women’s basketball at the college and professional level requires investing in girls’ basketball, says Jamie Eslinger, CMO of Shoot 360.
“HER Month is one way of making good on that commitment,” she says. “Today, women and girls make up 22 percent of Shoot 360’s membership base, while national basketball participation hovers around 11 percent. That’s double the representation at Shoot 360 and proof that intentional investment makes a measurable difference.”
Mattel, too, chose female athletes for its WHM efforts, taking a global view. On International Women’s Day, it launched its first Barbie Dream Team of dolls made in the likeness of women who led the way in their industries, including tennis player Serena Williams, Astronaut Kellie Gerardi, Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana and Mexican racecar driver Regina Sirvent Alvarado.
“At Barbie, our purpose since 1959 has been to inspire the limitless potential in every girl. International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month are important moments for us to lean into that mission in a meaningful way,” says Nathan Baynard, vice president and head of Barbie at Mattel. The celebration targets both girls and their mothers, connecting across three generations that have been exposed to Barbie, he says.
“We’re giving girls tangible examples of what’s possible. At the same time, we’re reinforcing to families that Barbie continues to evolve as a modern, culturally relevant reflection of the world around us,” says Bayard.
The celebration will close with the launch of Barbie Fest, a three-day festival held in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. March 27-29. The event will feature immersive experiences and inspirational speakers including Williams, Pro Basketball player Angel Reese, “Love on the Spectrum” star Madison Marilla and NASA engineer Dr. Swati Mohan. The festival was designed as the culmination to “Barbie Dream Days,” says Bayard.
“It’s about moving from storytelling to shared experience, panels, interactive programming, meet-and-greets and immersive moments that allow fans of all ages to engage directly with the idea that they can dream big and define their own path,” he says.
Embracing Creators
The Barbie Dream Days campaign also includes a spotlight on partnerships with six female-founded brands, including FHI Heat, Stoney Clover Lane, GK, Unique Vintage, Besita Boots and Moment beverages. The brands and founders will be amplified across Barbie’s social channels with shared storytelling and product launches, says Bayard. The collaborations include a Barbie Besita Boots collection, a Barbie-inspired accessories collection from Stoney Clover Lane and Barbie hairstyling tools from FHI Heat.
“Barbie has always championed women who dream boldly and build something meaningful so spotlighting female-founded brands during Women’s History Month is a natural extension for us,” says Bayard. “Ultimately, this is about reinforcing a shared message that when women are empowered to dream big, they inspire the next generation to do the same.”
Many Women’s Month celebrations have embraced women creators as their center. For example, distiller Maker’s launched a collaboration with artist Ashley Longshore to design a limited-edition label and partnered with the nonprofit Vital Voices to support their leadership programs. Through the end of March, bourbon drinkers can go to a dedicated website and buy a personalized label for their Maker’s Mark bottle with the name of an inspirational woman in their lives. Maker’s Mark will donate $1 for every label ordered, up to $50,000, to Vital Voices.
The effort is on-brand for the distiller, which was founded by husband and wife Bill and Margie Samuels. She is credited with creating the brand, including the name, label and bottle design with its red wax topper; the company stresses women continue to lead the brand.
Another beverage brand, The Lagunitas Brewing Co. also is tapping women artists, though perhaps in less traditional media. The beer company partnered with female tattoo artists to offer free ink in a selection of designs.
The designs are inspired by the return of its “Little Millie” brand icon on its Little Sumpin’ Sumpin beer cans. It’s part of an effort to encourage the small community of female tattoo artists – who make up just 25% of artists and only 5% of shop owners nationwide – and invite fans to share their love of the brand and self-expression, says Lagunitas CMO Hannah Dray.
“Lagunitas has always stood for individuality and showing up as your full, unapologetic self,” says Dray. “Knowing that women are more likely to get tattoos but remain underrepresented as artists, we wanted to do more than celebrate; we wanted to invest.”
