Who deserves the SPOTLIGHT? Learn how this guerrilla wake-up call put women back in focus in 2020!
| From the desk of Miles Everson: Happy little Friday! Welcome to “Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!” For those of you who aren’t familiar with this yet, guerrilla marketing is an unconventional strategy. The idea is that marketing doesn’t always have to be conventional to be effective. Today, let’s talk about a guerrilla marketing campaign that got a lot of people thinking and reconsidering their preferences in terms of work. Curious? Continue reading below to know more! |
Who deserves the SPOTLIGHT? Learn how this guerrilla wake-up call put women back in focus in 2020! There are times when the lights dim, the set clears, and the applause fades, leaving behind silence where voices should still echo. In industries built on spectacle, recognition can sometimes be as fleeting as the credits rolling on a screen… but every so often, someone flips the script, turning what looks like the end into the perfect setup for a new beginning. That’s exactly what happened in Hollywood when a brilliant guerrilla marketing campaign borrowed one of the industry’s most iconic promotional traditions and turned it on its head. No, the campaign didn’t sell a blockbuster film, a TV series, or a celebrity endorsement. Instead, it sold something far more powerful: The idea that women in film—especially in a time of crisis—deserve to be seen , remembered , and hired .
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, thousands of professionals across industries lost their jobs. In Hollywood, women were hit particularly hard. Careers that had taken years to build suddenly stalled. Directors, producers, editors, and other behind-the-scenes creatives were left in the shadows, overlooked at a time when opportunities were already scarce. Yet, if there’s one thing Hollywood knows, it’s the power of visibility. That’s where Women in Film and creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi stepped in with a daring idea: Use the very tools Hollywood deploys to sell films and stars—only this time, to put women back in the spotlight. Flipping the Script on “For Your Consideration” Every awards season, billboards, posters, and digital ads flood Los Angeles with “For Your Consideration” campaigns, urging Academy members to remember a particular film or actor when voting season arrives. The tactic is as Hollywood as the red carpet itself. So what if, instead of promoting movies, those campaigns promoted women? That’s exactly what Saatchi & Saatchi did! The ad agency hijacked this beloved Hollywood ritual and redirected it towards over 30 female film professionals who had lost opportunities during the recession. Each ad spotlighted a woman and her craft, using glowing recommendations from A-list celebrities they’d worked with.
Just imagine scrolling past a digital ad or walking by a poster that doesn’t push the latest Oscar contender but instead boldly declares: Consider a Woman. It was a clever disruption—familiar enough to blend into the Hollywood promotional ecosystem, yet radical enough to make people stop, stare, and think. What else? The campaign wasn’t just about visibility; it was also about validation. Each “For Your Consideration” ad featured endorsements from actors and filmmakers who vouched for these women’s talent. It was concrete proof that these professionals had made their mark in Hollywood and deserved to keep working. Director and writer Tara Miele captured the spirit perfectly: “This campaign has been an important brick in helping me and my work stay at the forefront of people’s minds. So, Hollywood, if you're hiring, consider a woman.” It was both a rallying cry and a challenge: Why overlook incredible talent just because the system wasn’t built to hold them up? The Results By now, many of you know that the brilliance of guerrilla marketing lies in its ability to infiltrate the culture it critiques. … and by all accounts, this campaign did exactly that! Check out these stats:
Clearly, the campaign didn’t just raise awareness! It also reignited conversations about gender equity in the film industry, ensuring women weren’t pushed further into the background during a crisis. Good job on this, Women in Film and Saatchi & Saatchi! *Applause* By taking something as ingrained in Hollywood as “For Your Consideration” ads and repurposing it, the team was able to create a campaign that was both recognizable and revolutionary! In fact, the strategy was equal parts satire and sincerity: Poking fun at the excess of award-season promotions while proving how easily those same resources could be used to fuel equity and change. Most importantly, it didn’t just raise awareness for an issue; it also created opportunities for real people. It handed women in film a stage when the curtains had unfairly been drawn too soon. — At its heart, “For Your Consideration” wasn’t just a marketing campaign but also a cultural intervention. By hijacking Hollywood’s own promotional playbook, Women in Film and Saatchi & Saatchi showed the industry what it so often forgets: That behind every masterpiece is a diverse crew of professionals whose voices deserve to be heard long after the spotlight fades . Maybe, that’s the BIGGER lesson. Visibility isn’t just about fame but also about fairness. Recognition isn’t just about awards but also about access. … and in the grand story of Hollywood, the best plots aren’t always about the heroes on screen but also about the unsung creators who bring those stories to life. So, the next time you’re hiring, you might want to also consider a woman. Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing! Do you want to know how one brand set out to save the heritage of Irish pubs? See it in next week’s article! |
Miles Everson
CEO of MBO Partners and former Global Advisory and Consulting CEO at PwC, Everson has worked with many of the world's largest and most prominent organizations, specializing in executive management. He helps companies balance growth, reduce risk, maximize return, and excel in strategic business priorities.
He is a sought-after public speaker and contributor and has been a case study for success from Harvard Business School.
Everson is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a B.S. in Accounting.
