UNICEF – PRINCESS SYNDROME We call our daughters 'Princess' as a term of endearment, believing it makes them feel special. But beneath the tiaras and tulle lies a dangerous script: that beauty is currency, that intellect is optional, and that a savior is necessary.

LONG STORY SHORT

This campaign strips away the innocent veneer of childhood 'princess culture' to reveal the ugly truth hiding underneath. By juxtaposing the sweet image of a child with the profane, cynical reality of the values she is absorbing, we force parents to confront a harsh reality: The most toxic limitations our daughters face aren't coming from the outside world, they are coming from home.'"

"The Insight:

Parents believe that calling their daughter a 'Princess' creates confidence. THE TRUTH: It actually creates dependency.

The Campaign:

This project for UNICEF challenges the 'innocent' conditioning of young girls. By visualizing the adult consequences of the 'Princess' label, materialism, lack of ambition, and reliance on men—placed into the mouth of a toddler, we shock parents into realizing that gender inequality is a learned behavior. And the lesson starts at home."

Princess Syndrome

UNICEF is boldly changing the tone for this conversation. And the intention is exactly that, start a conversation. Expecting kids, at age 3, 4, or 5 to understand that life is better if you have solid values, good friends and a healthy lifestyle, in comparison to the princess lifestyle, is unrealistic.

Children who suffer from #PrincessSyndrome live life as a fairy-tale: focusing only on the pretty things, putting themselves as the center of the universe, and obsessing about their look. It can be fun and whimsical when a child is a toddler, it can also set the tone for how they develop into a young person, influencing their self-esteem, their dependence on others, how they take care of themselves and how empowered they feel in their life.