No7 wants to help women get back to work in its first US campaign

The COVID-19 pandemic has pummeled the job market — and nobody has felt its blow more than women.

No7 wants to raise awareness about the “SHEcession” — the term coined to reflect women’s disportoniate job losses in the workforce during COVID-19, —and help them find resources for the “SHEcovery.”

“Four times more women have lost or left their jobs than men,” said Anisha Raghavan, CMO of global brands for the Americas at Walgreens Boots Alliance, No7’s parent company. “ [Of] all jobs lost in December, every single one of them was a woman. Men gained jobs in that timeframe.”

On Tuesday, No7 released a short film, “Unstoppable Together,” created by WPP WBA team in partnership with Berlin Cameron, VMLY&R and DeVries, which showcases the SHEcession’s impact through hard facts and real women’s stories. “Unstoppable Together” is No7’s first U.S. campaign since the brand launched in the U.K. in 1935.

The spot is set to the tune “What’s Going On,” performed by Ruby Amanfu, and features a mural created by artist Sydney G. James, whose work highlights how Black women in America are often viewed as coming “last” in society.

The spot’s focus on diversity extended behind the scenes. The production crew was 90% female and featured extras who were personally impacted by the recession. Some of these women will be spotlighted in No7’s Real Women Stories, a series running across all of the brand’s social platforms.

In addition to spreading awareness about the SHEcession, No7 wants to offer resources for women reentering the workforce.

The brand is hosting the Unstoppable Together Job Summit, a virtual conference on Feb. 24 featuring notable speakers including Ariana Huffington, Maria Shriver, Tamron Hall and Kate Walsh. No7 will also offer $100,000 worth of free coaching sessions from The Female Quotient to help women networking, land job interviews and make career pivots during the pandemic.

“Most of us probably know somebody who has been impacted by this recession in some way,” Raghavan said. “I really want people to understand the magnitude of this and how big of an issue there is, but also [get people] to join this movement and rally together."