Marks & Spencer is celebrating a dozen of Britain’s most influential women and their diverse styles in the new campaign “Leading Ladies of Britain.” The award-winning actress Helen Mirren, singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, renowned artist Tracey Emin, famous female boxer Nicola Adams, and others got in the spotlight. The new campaign, which supports the launch of the brand’s autumn/winter fashion collection, triumphs the strong personal attitude of each model and inspires women to keep true to their style, respecting their differences rather than trying to diminish them.
The ladies were shot by celebrated fashion photographer Annie Leibovitz in four traditional British backdrops: on River Thames boat, in the British countryside, at a London artist’s studio, and in a traditional country house. The new campaign salutes both the British visual tradition and the power of the personality. The women who belong to different professional fields and keep to different styles, have at least two things in common—they all have developed their own sense of style and inspire others with their professional and personal achievements and a positive attitude towards themselves.
“These women all possess intelligence, the confidence to succeed and innate personal style. From the physical strength and dedication of athletes and dancers, the honed skills of entertainers, the imagination of creative visionaries and the tireless campaigners, these women are pioneers in their fields,” states the brand on the promotional page. The visitors to the dedicated hub also can see all the ladies participating in the project and read who they are.
Marks & Spencer has also created a short video in which the celebrities tell what their greatest asset is. The comments are very different, just like the ladies themselves. “Ok, on the physical, I would definitely say my pale skin. Curiosity. I think my love for people. My boobs. Not taking myself too seriously. I learnt that very early on. My will to win. My husband is my greatest asset. My greatest asset is my ability to create something out of nothing, and my enthusiasm for airplanes,” they share.
The campaign by RKCR/Y&R London will launch across the UK in print, online and on outdoor sites starting September 3. The marketing effort will then roll out across other markets. Selected visuals from the promotion will appear in M&S’ ten international flagship stores in Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Gurgaon, Dubai, Istanbul, Moscow, Prague, Singapore and Amsterdam.
The voice of the “Leading Ladies of Britain” is somewhat similar to Dove’s promotions, focused on inspiring women to respect and love their unique beauty.