the case for girls [Fast Company]

Most would-be parents prefer boys, not girls. Is part of the trouble, dare we say, a branding problemone that advertising could solve?

On December 11, according to my doctors' best guesstimate, I am due to give birth to a baby girl. My husband and I couldn't be happier. Most parents, however? They'd rather have a boy.

It may not be surprising that there's a lingering preference for baby boys over baby girls worldwide. What's alarming, however, is that this global inclination is manifesting more strongly than ever. Historically, when nature is allowed to determine sex all on its own, about 105 boys are born for every 100 girls (and because women live longer, the ratio of people on the planet evens out over time, even tilting slightly toward females). But the balance of nature has shifted in Asia, thanks to wider availability of affordable ultrasound equipment, which detects gender as early as 1 5 weeks, and widespread abortion. In China, after 30-plus years of the country's One Child Policy, the ratio of boys to girls is a highly unnatural 120:100 (it's even reached 1 50:100 in one province). In India, 109 boys are born for every 100 girls. Demographers calculate that roughly 160 million Asian females have gone what they euphemistically categorize as "missing." There's growing evidence that this pattern of sex selection is being followed in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and similar trends seem likely in Africa and the Middle East.

Lest we think this is some sort of second- and third-world predicament, it turns out boys are still No. l in the United States too. A 201 1 Gallup poll revealed that if American men between the ages of 18 and 49 could have only one child, 54% would want a boy; "no preference," at 26%, beat out girls, who rated a measly 19%. According to the same poll, women don't have a preference; but since it takes two to tango, as the song goes, that makes for heavy pressure in favor of "a masculine child," as Luca Brasi so eloquently put it in The Godfather. These figures have remained essentially unchanged for 8o years- the stats were the same in 1941. While it may be culturally taboo here to openly reject or abort a child based on gender, fears of second-class status and doubts of a daughter's potential value are remarkably persistent.

In India and China, the preference for sons is seen as pragmatic and economically sound, a choice often exercised by educated, upwardly mobile parents, making this a form of "consumer eugenics" (a term coined by Mara Hvistendahl, the author of the 20 1 1 book Unnatural Selection). Cultures with such a pronounced boy bias tend to also have a tradition of "patrilocality," where daughters go to live with their husbands' families, while sons stay at home and inherit property In China, where one-child families have been official policy since 1979, the aging population has resulted in the so-called 4-2-1 problem: four grandparents, two parents, and just one child. According to the old customs, that one child, the economic mainstay, had better be a boy. The situation in India is similar. As one newspaper ad for sonograms put it: "Spend 500 rupees now or 500,000 rupees later"- on a dowry.

That consumer preference turns into disaster when repeated across a society. Unnatural Selection does a frightening, thorough job of documenting the consequences for countries full of men: sex trafficking in Albania, mail-order brides in Vietnam, crime in "bachelor towns" in rural China. The future portends aging populations short of nurses and teachers.

Fact is, the desire and the data don't match up. In the 2ist century, there's a compelling case for girls as the equal- and in some cases, optimal- gender for roles in leadership, innovation, and economic growth. Women excel in education, the most crucial factor in tomorrow's workforce; we are 56% of undergraduates in the U.S. and approaching parity in China and India. Our socialization is geared toward the right stuff for the changing requirements of success in the 2lst century: Women are likely to have a more balanced, empathetic leadership style, better communication skills, a knack for fostering innovation through collaboration. Consider the results of a recent study by psychologists at MIT and Carnegie Mellon, who divided people into teams and asked them to complete intelligence tasks together. The IQ scores of the groups' members barely affected collective performance. The number of women on a team, however, affected it a lot- the more women, the better.

The evidence is mounting that baby girls are a strong investment. "An important future indicator for a developing economy is its treatment of women," says Sheryl WuDunn, coauthor with husband Nicholas Kristof of Half the Sky, a best seller turned PBS series turned online game that dubs girl power "the best way to fight poverty and extremism." A country that gives girls equal opportunity has twice as much talent and brainpower to draw on and is likely to be more open and flexible in ways that promote international trade. World Bank numbers also show that development dollars invested in projects that target girls and women show a 90% return; the figure for projects focused on men and boys hovers between 30% and 40%. The Grameen Bank, the best-known microfinancier, makes 97% of its loans to women, whose repayment rates are much higher.

Thankfully this kind of reasoning is gaining influence, resulting in many creative efforts to brighten the image of daughters. China has attacked the 4-2-1 problem headon. The government has started a pension program benefitting rural people over age 60 with daughters, and not sons. The amounts match or beat what the typical son would send home to his folks from the city. In the Chinese version of Medicare, insurance premiums are now discounted or in some cases eliminated for the lucky parents of girls. India offers the "Indira Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for Single Girl Child"- only daughters may apply. So far these well-meaning efforts have enjoyed limited success. After five years, China's national Care for Girls program has barely nudged the sex imbalance.

Government incentives and private-sector funding are important parts of an effort to rectify this problem. But there's also a place for branding; in countries like China, India, and South Korea, pro-girl advertising has been added to the mix- mostly simplistic propaganda. If better executed, these ads could shape social attitudes in ways subtle and overt. "If handled correctly the most sensitive issue can be dealt with," says Priscilla Natkins of the Ad Council, which brought the world Rosie the Riveter and Smokey the Bear. She points to recent successful U.S. campaigns about drunk driving ("Friends Don't Let Friends . . ."), autism, and seatbelt use. "When we took on our seat-belt campaign, usage was in the low-20 percents- now it's way up in the mid-80s. Advertising didn't do that alone, but we planted the seed with consumers that led to legislation."

That's why, as a thought experiment, Fast Company asked some top advertising, marketing, branding, and digital agencies to make the case for baby girls in the language of the global consumer- a challenge they took very seriously.

"As we tried to understand the issue better," says Rei Inamoto from AKQA, "we realized that this is not an issue of daughters versus sons. It's an issue of the self-perpetuating and devastating belief that women have little value."

My daughter will be brought up to understand her true value. That's a promise. As for all the little girls to be born around the world, the creation of these ads is an effort to show how imagination can change the conversation around their lives.

The Birth of an Idea

Fast Company asked six of the most creative ad agencies in the world to rebrand baby girls. Their mock campaigns recast girls as the No. 1 choice for consumers from China to the U.S.

Shout Agency

TARGET DEMO Men Around the World

The Ad Folks:

Shout is part of She 5ays, a network of 3.000 ad women who collaborate outside their day jobs on campaigns directed at women.

Their Campaign Strategy:

This ad shouts what studies suggest- that female leaders can be more empathetic and inspirational. The ad evokes movie posters because its creators "expect to see plenty of successful females coming soon to a corporation, startup, or Oval Office near you."

Cramer-Krasselî

TARGET DEMO: U.S. COUPES

The Ad Folks:

This Chicago-based agency is America's second-largest indie and has worked with Corona, Hilton, and Porsche.

Their Campaign Strategy:

Ads mock the conventional choice by presenting challenging, funny facts about raising boys. National print ads, signage in pregnancy-test sections of drugstores, and QR (quick-response) codes on boys' clothing in retail outlets steer prospective parents to more data at hopeitsagirl.com.

A 2011 Gallup poll revealed Thar 54% of American men between the ages ot 18 and 49 would prefer a boy.

The preference for boys over girls turns into a disaster when repeated across a society.

AKQA

TARGET DEMO: Alf luent Women in China

The Ad Folks:

This digital agency based in San Francisco has done campaigns for Heineken, Cap. Nike, and the Xbox 360.

Their Campaign Strategy:

To help rural Chinese see women as precious, ads will nudge urban professionals, whose cultural influence is vast. The character on the lips is the female version of the word ni Cyou"). The ad aims to speak to those who know they have value and those who don't yet see that.

The Next Steve Jobs Will Be Chick

The comedian (and father of fwo daughters) salutes the feminine future.

Let me start off by saying that in the natural order of things, girls appear to be the preference. They tend to make up 51% of the population overall, because men tend to do stupid things and die off before they're 40. So if you trust in nature, nature is saying that the world is a better place when there are more girls around than boys. It's not just me saying girls are better.

I myself have two daughters, a 9-year-old and a 6-yearold, and I've learned from those girls how to be a better man. If I'd had a boy, then there'd be two shitty versions of me. The last thing I need to do is fail twice with two different people: me and my son. But I benefit from an uncomplicated relationship with my daughters- I get to observe how great they are. I'm always learning from them, and they are well-mannered with far better living habits than I have. When I get up in the morning, for instance, they're already dressed, with their teeth brushed and looking nice. I'm not capable of any of that.

But on a deeper level of ability, my girls are interested in other people. They notice stuff and take part in doing things that I don't know if a boy would notice. They do the right thing, they treat people well, and they listen to other people- boys at their age are just these little balls of want. This is, of course, a generalization; a lot of girls end up being selfish and obnoxious as grown-ups, just like some men are really sensitive and thoughtful. But I generally prefer females to spend a lot of time with. Girls are good roommates; they're good company when you go shopping; they're a lot of fun to hang out with in the car when you're just sitting in traffic. Those little things add up to a better life.

Overall, I think it's a good time to have a girl in the 21st century because things are changing, with more opportunities for women. But girls are still the underdog, which means they'll work harder, and everybody loves an underdog. The next Steve Jobs will totally be a chick, because girls are No. 2- and No. 2 always wins in America. Apple was a No. 2 company for years, and Apple embodies a lot of what have been defined as feminine traits: an emphasis on intuitive design, intellect, a strong sense of creativity, and that striving to always make the greatest version of something. Traditionally, men are more like Microsoft, where they'll just make a fake version of what that chick made, then beat the shit out of her and try to intimidate everybody into using their product.

Wait a second- why am I trying to persuade someone to have a girl? It's backward. The fact that people have kids because they want something from them is bizarre. As soon as you have a child, that script gets flipped for the rest of your life anyway. It's not about you anymore. I say this so when you have a girl, you don't ask yourself: What am I going to get out of this girl? You're supposed to focus on: What does this girl need from me and what kind of parent do I need to be to her? That's the question you should be asking yourself right now, not whether or not you'll be missing some boy's stupid Little League game. -As told to Nancy Miller

Men are more like Microsoft: They'll just make a fake version of what that chick made, then try to intimidate everybody into using their product

Louis CK. (here with actress Hadley Delany) uses Interactions with his real-life daughters as fodder for his Emmy-nominated series.

"A future indicator for a developing economy is its treatment of women," says WuDunn.

Leo Burnett

TARGET DEMO: U.S. Men and Women

The Ad Folks:

Chicago's legendary agency currently handles Allstate. Fiat, McDonald's- and many more.

Their Campaign Strategy:

The "Accidental Daughters" campaign would use humor and irreverence to upset stereotypes. First up would be Amy Poehler. followed by a series of other successful. iconoclastic women, like Lady Gaga.

LatinWorks

TARGET DEMO: U.S. Hispanic Women

The Ad Folks:

The Austin indie has created popular campaigns for Domino's and Starburst in the Hispanic market.

Their Campaign Strategy:

In a world that holds to a lot of false generalizations about women, this campaign simply aims to push facts that paint a favorable picture of girls. Many boys are loyal and compassionate- but according to the data, girls have those traits more often.

72andSunny

TARGET DEMO: U.S. Younger Males

The Ad Folks:

From LA. and Amsterdam, these are the people who brought you K-Swiss sneakers "sponsored by" Kenny Powers.

Their Campaign Strategy:

With cheeky fake blurbs, this campaign appeals to would-be dads by hyping baby girls as the "high-performance" child. The downloadable configurator app borrows from popular high-performance automobile apps. Your girl as a souped-up Mustang- that's an equation a guy can love.

China's Care for Girls program has barely nudged the country's sex imbalance.

44% THE INCREASE IN A U.S WOMANS PAYCHECK FROM 197010 2007

6% THE SALARY INCREASE FOR AN AMERICAN MAN OVER THE SAME TIME

2024 THE YEAR WHEN THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WOMAN MAY OUTEARN THE AVERAGE AMERICAN MAN

45% SWEDISH COVERNMENTOFFICIALS WHO ARE WOMEN

51.4% AMERICAN MANAGERS WHO ARE WOMEN (WAY UP FROM A MEAGER 26.1% IN 1980)

33 COUNTRIES THAT HAVE HAD A FEMALE PRESIDENT (BUT NOT.OF COURSE, THE USA

45 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITH MORE GIRLS THAN BOYS ATTENDING SECONDARY SCHOOL

3.2 RATIO OF AMERICAN WOMEN TO MEN WHO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE

60% U.S. MASTER'S DEGREES THAT GO TO WOMEN

13 HOT JOB CATEGORIES THAT WOMEN WILL DOMINATE IN TNE NEXT DECADE

2 HOT JOB CATEGORIES THAT MEN WILL RULE

40% CHINA'S PRIVATE BUSINESSES OWNED BY WOMEN

38% WOMEN INITIALLY WORK: PLACE, AGLOBAL LOW

51% U.S. PERSONAL WEALTH HELD BY WOMAN

83% U.S. CONSUMER PURCHASES MADE BY WOMEN

0.63 WHAT A WYOMING WOMAN GETS FOR EVERY DOLLAR A MAN EARNS

$0.84 WHAT A WOMAN GETS IN VERMONT

5 AVERAGE NUMBER OF CHILDREN FOR AN AMERICAN MOTHER IN THE 19605: irs DOWN TO 2.5 NOW

21 AVERAGE AGE OF A FIRST-TIME MOM IN 1910; ITS UP TO 25 NOW

87 LIFE EXPECTANCY (IN YEARS) OF THE AVERAGE JAPANESE WOMAN

8.5% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR U.S. WOMEN

9.5% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR U.S. MEN

74% WOMEN ON TEAMS THAT CREATED ADS FOR THIS ARTICLE

3 % FEMAIE CREATIVE DIRECTORS IN THE AD INDUSTRY

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