In Eastern Europe's male dominated narrative, the achievements of women are often overshadowed, rendering the female trailblazers in various fields largely invisible to the young girls searching for role models in their society. Despite their substantial contributions, these women's stories often remain unheard. And as a brand that's all about progress - and when the majority of Johnnie Walker's drinkers in Eastern Europe are female , we knew we had to do something about it.

"Footsteps of Progress" is a campaign for Eastern European women to showcase their achievements beyond traditional female stories. Because women all walk the walk, but their steps are often unseen. We brought these stories to light online and offline, with footsteps featuring women’s names on the ground in out-of-home locations (metro stations, malls and bus stations) across Bulgaria and Romania.

The footsteps had QR codes leading to an AR experience showing the inspiration these women want to share with the world; from writers helping people overcome limits, to fashion designers bolstering women’s confidence and singers empowering them.

It invited women to leave their mark in society, being a force for female empowerment. On the AR app women could discover inspiring stories and leave their own, giving visibility and spreading awareness.

We've kickstarted a much needed conversation through influencers and in the media. Several female influencers activated the campaign online while we hosted events and conversations around the importance of the topic. The movement resonated beyond the streets, igniting events and generating significant media buzz, amplifying the conversation about gender roles and societal progress in Eastern Europe, while having a considerable business impact. Local Eastern European celebrities spoke on the subject, and we even inspired officials like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bulgaria to mention the topic.

We also created a limited edition shoe as a symbol of collective progress, inspiring women to proudly step up for change, tear up limitations and change the narrative on equality. Our shoe became a symbol of female empowerment, motivating women to tear up limitations and sparking attention and momentum for the subject. All shoe proceedings went to local female empowerment groups in the region, making this campaign an unstoppable force for change.

Results

37M Impressions across platforms

€ 1.1M earned media across platforms

+77.15% of increase in Net Sales Value in Bulgaria

+99.75% of increase in Net Sales Value in Romania

+20.9% brand score increase within female audience

32% engagement rate, 10x above benchmark

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