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NORD DDB

Signs of the Times

UN Women,
Sweden

The Challenge

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. They are a global champion for women and girls and have helped pass more than 1,500 laws worldwide that strengthen women’ s rights. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve global equality. Today, we’re also seeing hard-won rights suddenly threatened, or rolled back entirely, in many countries. UN Women’s latest global report reveals that one in four countries is experiencing setbacks in the rights of women and girls. Around the world, women are still fighting for rights that should be fundamental: the right for safe abortions, equal pay, and a life free from violence.

The Solution

UN Women is a global champion for women and girls, working tirelessly for their rights. And while progress has been made over the past century, we’re still far from achieving true gender equality. Just look at protest signs for women’s rights: messages from 1954 are often strikingly similar to those seen in 2025. 'Signs of the Times' is a campaign that highlights this harsh truth, that true equality hasn’t been reached, and highlights the ongoing importance of UN Women’s global mission. The campaign placed archival protest signs alongside modern ones, showing identical messages nearly 100 years apart. Each campaign unit led to a website, where visitors were encouraged to download historical signs to use in today’s protests and support UN Women’s important work. Our campaign became a powerful reminder that the fight for women’s rights is far from over, and that it’s time to move forward to reach global equality.

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