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Being a woman comes with a certain amount of risk. Historically, insurance companies considered gender a risk factor before laws in the European Union and some U.S. states prohibited providers from factoring in gender when setting premiums.
But disparities remain, with some studies showing that women are less likely to have coverage or pay more for life or health insurance. “The fact is that women are both overexposed to certain risks and under-protected,” said Ulrike Decoene, head of communication, brand and corporate responsibility at global insurance company AXA Group.
AXA’s new campaign highlights the disproportionate risks faced by women across health, business, education and sports. The brand’s message is: “Being a woman shouldn’t be a risk.”
Each of the ads, created by agency Publicis Conseil, highlights a stark statistic. Globally, only 33% of business owners are women; 36% of women don’t exercise enough to stay healthy; and 41% of women have not visited a healthcare professional in the past 12 months.
AXA says it wants to raise awareness of these disparities and push for change.
“As an industry, we can serve the purpose of empowering and strengthening women’s position in society,” Decoene told Adweek. “Despite all the progress made for women, there are still issues they face that are less supported. We have a role to play, but everyone should as well.”
A delicate balance
AXA’s film depicts how women are exposed to various risks throughout their lives, from a teenage girl scrolling through unrealistic images of models on social media, to a woman examining bruises on her neck and leaving the house where she’s been abused, to another woman giving birth.
Decoene said the brand’s aim was to show a nuanced portrayal of women’s experiences while avoiding stereotypes.
“We wanted to strike a balance where we showcased their risks and vulnerabilities without putting women in the victim position,” she said. “But we didn’t want to fall into the opposite either, of showing women as superheroes.”
Madeline Clayton directed the film. The soundtrack is a slowed-down cover of Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 hit song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” rerecorded by artist Buzzy Lee—adding a light touch to a serious subject matter, Decoene explained.
