SSGA: Fearless Girl
SSGA wanted a bold campaign to promote gender diversity on corporate boards and highlight their SHE fund. The client needed to make a powerful statement on International Women's Day, targeting institutional investors and the general public. The challenge was to create a memorable visual that would spark global conversation about female leadership and drive awareness for SSGA's commitment, ultimately increasing fund interest. McCann New York was tasked with this.
Creative Idea
SSGA placed a fearless girl statue directly facing the Wall Street bull.
State Street Global Advisors placed a statue of a fearless girl directly facing the iconic Wall Street bull statue to symbolize women's strength and challenge gender inequality in the workplace. By creating a powerful visual metaphor on International Women's Day, the brand highlighted the importance of gender diversity and female leadership in a bold, memorable way.
The Bronze Cow That Became a Global Icon
From Livestock to Leadership
The original creative concept for the campaign was to place a bronze cow in front of the Charging Bull. The team eventually scrapped the idea for lacking emotional resonance, opting instead for a human figure. Sculptor Kristen Visbal modeled the girl after two children from Delaware to ensure she looked relatable rather than like a specific celebrity. Standing only 50 inches tall and weighing 250 pounds, she was intentionally dwarfed by the 7,100 - pound bull to emphasize her courage. Even her plaque contained a hidden Easter egg: the word "SHE" was a direct reference to the NYSE ticker symbol for SSGA’s Gender Diversity Index ETF.
Viral Momentum and Market Moves
The campaign achieved a staggering 4.6 billion Twitter impressions within 12 weeks with zero paid media spend. This visibility translated into immediate financial impact, as the SHE Fund saw a 384% increase in average daily trading volume just one week after launch. Beyond the markets, the statue drove corporate change; by 2020, 681 companies identified through the campaign had added at least one woman to their previously all - male boards.
Controversy and Cultural Evolution
The installation was not without friction. Arturo Di Modica, creator of the Charging Bull, sued the city and SSGA, arguing the girl "corrupted" his work by turning his symbol of prosperity into a villain. Later in 2017, SSGA faced irony when it settled a $5 million lawsuit over allegations of underpaying female executives. Despite these hurdles, the statue became a living monument, notably receiving a lace collar tribute following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020. Originally granted a one - week permit, public demand and a 40,000 - signature petition eventually made her a permanent fixture of the New York skyline.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
SSGA managed the SHE index fund and held the corporate authority to pressure boards for gender diversity. They needed a way to make their ESG commitments visible and visceral.
Category
Financial services marketing usually relies on dry data and corporate imagery. It rarely uses public art or physical disruption to communicate values or drive social change.
Customer
Professional women and conscious investors were tired of corporate lip service regarding diversity. They craved a powerful, defiant symbol that validated their struggle and ambition in male-centric environments.
Culture
Launched on International Women's Day 2017, the statue tapped into the global zeitgeist of female empowerment and the rising demand for corporate accountability regarding the glass ceiling.
Company
SSGA managed the SHE index fund and held the corporate authority to pressure boards for gender diversity. They needed a way to make their ESG commitments visible and visceral.
Category
Financial services marketing usually relies on dry data and corporate imagery. It rarely uses public art or physical disruption to communicate values or drive social change.
Strategy:
Confront the financial establishment's gender bias by physically pitting a symbol of female resilience against its most aggressive icon.
Customer
Professional women and conscious investors were tired of corporate lip service regarding diversity. They craved a powerful, defiant symbol that validated their struggle and ambition in male-centric environments.
Culture
Launched on International Women's Day 2017, the statue tapped into the global zeitgeist of female empowerment and the rising demand for corporate accountability regarding the glass ceiling.
Strategy:
Confront the financial establishment's gender bias by physically pitting a symbol of female resilience against its most aggressive icon.
Results
In 12 weeks, the campaign generated 4.6 billion Twitter impressions and 745 million Instagram impressions. The Fearless Girl statue became one of only 6 statues dedicated to women in New York City.
4.6 billion
Twitter impressions
745 million
Instagram impressions
1 of 6
statues dedicated to women in NYC
Strategy Technique
Make the Brand the Hero of a Bigger Fight
SSGA positioned itself as a champion for gender diversity, linking its brand to the larger fight for equality. This elevated the SHE fund and resonated with both investors and the public.
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Creative Technique
Dramatize the Problem
The campaign used a powerful visual - a fearless girl confronting the Wall Street bull - to dramatically highlight the problem of gender inequality in finance. This installation forced a global conversation about the need for female leadership and diversity.
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Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional in its unparalleled strategic art direction and iconic art direction, perfectly embodied by the Fearless Girl statue and its symbolic placement.
The statue's design, including her defiant pose, confident stance, and innocent yet powerful expression, was meticulously crafted to embody the campaign's message and resonate globally as an icon.
The strategic decision to place the statue in such a high-profile, symbolic location on Wall Street during International Women's Day was pivotal, transforming the artwork into a potent, organic media vehicle.
The campaign's magic comes from the synergy between a brilliant, simple idea, its iconic visual execution, and the strategic placement that amplified its message into a global phenomenon.
