Only 14% of teenage girls say they want to be scientists
+ READ ARTICLEFirst Dove, then Pantene, now Verizon. The telecom company’s new schmaltzy ad is just the latest in long line of feminist-inspired TV spots cleverly designed to align big companies with popular women’s issues.
The advertisement, voiced by Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani, is meant to highlight the subtle ways young girls are discouraged from pursuing STEM at school.
It’s in line with the Verizon Foundation’s work to encourage girls to pursue science careers, according to AdWeek, and was produced in cooperation with Makers. And since only 14% of teenage girls say they want to be scientists, maybe the ad will help us all think twice about the way we talk to girls.
While I admire the sentiment behind trying to encourage more girls to code, it’s a little suspicious that Verizon is getting on this bandwagon right after feminism is becoming a valuable brand. Still, anything’s better than the totally horrifying advertising we used to see from big companies.