Company: Hearts & Science, New York, NY
Company Description: Hearts & Science is a marketing agency recoding media for emotional connection at scale. On the pulse of the industry, Hearts & Science was founded with a special focus on data analytics and a foundation of heart.
Nomination Category: Marketing Campaign Categories - Specialty
Nomination Sub Category: Youth Marketing Campaign of the Year
 Nomination Title: OLAY x EBONY STEM Queens
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated campaign or program, OR written answers to the questions for this category? CHOOSE ONE:
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
21st August 2021
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 233 words used.
OLAY believes that women’s future successes lie in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). OLAY realized that there was a lack of female role models in STEM, particularly Black women.
Women are behind some of the most ground-breaking discoveries across the STEM fields, from everyday items like coffee filters to life-saving inventions like vaccines. Yet, while women fill almost 50% of the workforce, they comprise only 27% STEM field positions. This represents the “STEM gap,” as more than half of girls count themselves out of STEM careers by the time they reach college. This persists due to a lack of mentorship and role models which lead women to believe that jobs in STEM are “not for them.”
OLAY committed itself to #FaceTheSTEMGap by helping to double the number of women in STEM and triple the number of women of color in STEM by 2030.
As part of this, OLAY partnered with U.S. magazine EBONY, a monthly publication renowned in the Black community. Three years ago, the magazine went out of print. With the help of OLAY, it gained new life.
Together with EBONY and Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), OLAY launched a competition to find accomplished STEM college students in the first-ever HBCU “STEM Queens” contest. The competition chose 10 winners and provided them with a variety of resources and opportunities to help them further pursue their STEM ambitions.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 235 words used.
OLAY launched the STEM Queen competition online through EBONY’s social, digital and email channels. The public could vote for their favorite STEM Queen, and the 10 lucky winners were selected in October 2021. OLAY then ensured the winners would have an unforgettable experience.
Each winner received an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles to attend EBONY Power 100, including a stage moment where they were each awarded a $10k scholarship. OLAY also arranged a photoshoot for the HBCU “STEM Queens,” which then was used as the cover feature the special edition EBONY x OLAY commemorative print issue – EBONY’s first print edition since 2019.
The STEM Queens also received a virtual mentoring session by OLAY scientists. To ensure accessibility, the sessions were recorded and the scientists exchanged contact information for continued mentorship for the Queens.
To announce the OLAY x EBONY partnership and the launch of the commemorative issue featuring the STEM Queens, female powerhouse and EBONY CEO Michele Ghee was interviewed on Entertainment Tonight!. The landmark EBONY print-issue was released in February 2022 and featured a dedicated edit highlighting female executives across beauty and STEM from Procter & Gamble, OLAY’s parent company.
OLAY supported the campaign by educating audiences about STEM achievements by women of color on social and digital channels. The campaign was further amplified with a 360-degree media and social media blitz that included custom digital banners and EBONY homepage takeovers.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2021. Even if your initiative started before 2021, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2021 only (up to 250 words):
Total 177 words used.
The campaign successfully raised awareness of OLAY’s efforts to promote women of color in STEM and affirm to young women that STEM careers are absolutely “for them.”
In just 48 hours, the STEM Queens competition received 70 entries. In 72 hours, it received a whopping 95k votes. The competition alone reached 8M+ impressions on EBONY.com, 7M+ on social, 9M+ on email and 6BN in PR/Earned Media.
OLAY also did an integration on Entertainment Tonight! featuring EBONY CEO Michele Ghee, which earned a 1.78 rating with W18+ (2,276,000 viewers), a +3.5% increase over Entertainment Tonight!’s Jan/Feb/March average.
50,000 copies of the special editions of EBONY with the Stem Queens on the cover were printed, with sales numbers on par with industry standards for newsstand sales.
Most importantly, OLAY gave young women of color in STEM role models on a magazine cover in stores around the U.S., demonstrating that there are indeed women to look up to in the field and opening their eyes to a possible future in STEM.
- You have the option to reference here any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
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