He shouted in the meeting, he was passionate.

She shouted in the meeting, she was hysterical.

This simple juxtaposition, used by CPB London in the ‘Double Standards’ campaign, uses creative clarity to underline that the playing field for women is far from level.

Ask any woman with any shred of power and she will all too often have a story to tell in which she was told that she is in some way 'too much'. 

As author, Elena Ferrante writes: 'The 'too' of a woman produces violent male reactions and, in addition, the enmity of other women, who every day are obliged to fight amongst themselves for the crumbs left by men. The 'too' of men produces general admiration and positions of power. The consequence is that not only is female power suffocated, but also, for the sake of peace and quiet we suffocate ourselves, don't belong to ourselves.’ 

This truth and the double standards that underpin it was powerfully brought to life in CPB London’s campaign. Of the thousand tiny paper cuts which serve to shrink women and girls, so many are based in outdated narratives which undermine and devalue women’s contributions.

This campaign powerfully underlines the corrosive, often invisible effects of these gender stereotypes. 

A powerful reminder of creativity to cut through the growing cynicism surrounding International Women’s Day. For while many might have rolled their eyes at the notion of ‘hugging themselves’ to embrace equity, this campaign underlines the power of advertising to open your eyes to a view of the world that you may not have considered before. A world in which behaviour that is celebrated or merely mediocre in a man is still unforgivable for a woman.