We're back to tell you... what women want
At least, in the form of great marketing campaigns for International Women's Day
Did you miss us? We’ve been cooking up some fresh new content in tasty formats 🥟 In the meantime, we just had to tell you about some of the Women’s Day campaigns from this past weekend.
The messaging themes represented this year highlight a broader shift in what female consumers want from brands.
This stuff matters. Pay attention or get left behind.
Personally, I’ll never forget the International Women's Day I spent working at the Shanghai HQ of a large global company. Each female employee on the day received a free, company-branded facial razor. Nothing says female empowerment like a clean shave, am I right?
That was 5+ years ago, and I sincerely hope they’ve come up with better gifts for their employees this year. If they’re reading the room like the brands below did, I have some hope.
Today’s women aren’t seeking a predefined “right way to live” but rather the confidence to embrace ‘non-traditional’ possibilities and define success on their own terms.
This Time, the Choice Belongs to Women
Tmall
In this campaign, Tmall partnered with three female celebrities from different industries, using their stories to bring the modern woman’s identity to life. Instead of dictating what a woman’s life should look like or adopting a preachy tone, the brand evoked emotional resonance through a more authentic and empathetic narrative.
You can be this, or that, but ultimately, the choice is yours.
Shifting from “marketing to women” to “engaging in dialogue with women”
This year’s International Women’s Day saw more brands moving away from traditional symbols like pink aesthetics, flowers, and gift-giving. Instead, they focused on structural gender issues and adopted a long-term approach, integrating women’s topics into their ongoing brand messaging rather than limiting them to a single holiday.
It’s less “you’re a woman, buy this stuff today” and more “we understand you, we’re here for you, let’s connect.”
Aka, brands are finally brand building.
“Your World is a Playground”
To Summer
Every March, the fragrance brand curates scents and content inspired by “Wise Eastern Women.” In 2024, it launched Nosepaper: Freedom & Imagination, an original poetry collection, and continued its artistic collaborations under the theme Play with the World.
This year, the brand launched its 3rd edition of the print collection featuring eleven female writers such as Yu Xiuhua, Zhai Yongming, and Lin Bai. This art and poetry collection revolves around the theme of "Playing with the World.”
Their launch post on Xiaohongshu is worth translating:
Someone once asked DeepSeek, "If you became human, what would you most want to do?" DeepSeek replied, "Stay up all night reading a physical book until dawn.”
"Under the desk lamp, feeling the brittle pages, smelling the mix of ink and the musty scent of old paper, suddenly bursting into tears over a particular sentence. Not like now, scanning an entire library in 0.1 seconds but remaining unmoved." Truly profound. Such moments are gradually fading away and disappearing.
In a time when paper products have long been labeled as "outdated," and even public accounts are considered "traditional media," in the spring of 2025, we are collaborating with the Parallel Poetry Festival to launch a printed poetry collection titled Nosepaper.
We hope that this poetic essence, transcending eras, can continue to be heard and seen.
Nosepaper Issue 003: Art and Poetry Collection
Inspired by the artworks of artist Peng Wei, featuring eleven female writers such as Yu Xiuhua, Zhai Yongming, and Lin Bai, this art and poetry collection revolves around the theme of "Playing with the World."
Made for the Body
NEIWAI
Known for its No-Size Bras and NO BODY IS NOBODY campaigns, NEIWAI has long addressed body image concerns. In 2025, the brand released a series of videos under the campaign ‘Made for the Body.’ They partnered with deaf artist Alice Hu to further advocate for body diversity and self-expression. The videos are a work of art, a beautiful display of self-love, and illustration through movement. Highly recommend searching on WeChat or Xiaohongshu to watch.
Or you can check out the brand’s YouTube channel for some of the past and recent global campaigns which are also stunning.
Say No to Discomfort
Proya
In its fifth year of advocating for women, Proya launched ‘Say No to Discomfort’. It encourages women to move from enduring discomfort to refusing to compromise. On March 7, it hosted an all-female live-stream discussion on Xiaohongshu titled ‘Her Feelings, Her Presence’. Additionally, the brand collaborated with a law firm to provide free legal consultations for women facing workplace gender discrimination, offering tangible support to those in need. Without going into too much detail in this post, this feels… pretty significant.
We can tell from the discussion in the comments the brand is fostering a community that values open discussion about women's issues and supports initiatives that promote gender equality and mental well-being which is greatly appreciated.
Chinese consumers don’t reject female empowerment messages all together — they are seeking more authenticity, depth, and impact.
Bloom Everywhere
Tmall Super Brand Day
As an e-commerce platform, Tmall has witnessed brands not only achieving commercial success but also driving meaningful change in gender discourse. These brands prove that business goals and social responsibility can go hand in hand.
More than just a brand film, Bloom Everywhere sparked a broader social conversation, amplifying women’s voices and reaffirming their inherent value. Every action taken by brands and every voice raised by women contributes to a better world. When women’s voices are truly heard, their “spring” has arrived. This video has over 1480 likes, 248 collects and 1000+ shares — undoubtedly the message hits home.
Other honorable mentions include campaigns from Valentino, Arc’Teryx, Starbucks
And lastly, this viral video from creator 朵朵花林 that struck a chord with many on Xiaohongshu (Rednote). The video received over 9,100 likes, nearly 3000 comments and nearly 8500 shares.
Titled “5000 Years of Questions Women Face” reflects on the historical and ongoing struggles and achievements of women in China’s history, emphasizing the importance of continuing to strive for the ideals and answers that women of the past sought. The comments range from philosophical reflections on communication with deities to historical observations about women's confidence in different eras. Some users even comment that this video brought them to tears. It’s also a pretty impressive use of AI.
For brands, take note. Use holidays like Women’s Day to foster a deeper, more meaningful relationship with your consumers. Don’t just shove discounts or flowers, or pretend you know women face issues. We’re past that. Do your research, take your product out of the spotlight. Figure out what you bring to the table.
As always, thanks for reading! ✌🏼 We’ll be back soon with some fresh content dumps 🥟 Stay tuned.
We craft strategies and content that help our clients reach, engage, and foster relationships with Chinese consumers to drive long-term business results. Reach out to us at hello@waisocial.com to learn more 💬