The Challenge
Women to Watch Brazil is a leading platform dedicated to empowering women in the workplace, managed by Meio & Mensagem, Brazil’s foremost marketing and communications journal. This campaign was developed specifically for the Women to Watch Brazil brand to confront the deeply rooted cultural norms and systemic inequalities that women continue to face in Brazilian corporate environments. As of 2024, women in Brazil earn, on average, 19.4% less than men, and the gap widens further in leadership positions, where women earn 25.2% less than their male counterparts.
The Solution
In Brazil, the expression “swallow a frog” (frog = sapo) means accepting blame, criticism, guilt, or insults without complaint—similar to the English phrase “eat dirt.” We used this cultural insight as the foundation for the 2024 Women to Watch campaign, one of the country’s most prestigious accolades in the corporate market. More than a campaign, it evolved into a social movement advocating for gender equality in the workplace. Drawing inspiration from nature, we discovered that the more colorful the frog, the more toxic it is. This insight led us to develop a visual system of vibrant hues and patterns inspired by the most dangerous toads in the wild. Over three months, the campaign spotlighted real stories of the “sapos” women have had to swallow to succeed in corporate Brazil. It became a powerful wake-up call, sparking a wave of women sharing their own stories across social media and at the live event.
