For UNCLE’s latest collaboration we have partnered with Young Women’s Trust and Lemonade Dolls on their ‘Swing It, Girls’ campaign originally created by Havas London. It jovially uses motifs of underwear and innuendo to encourage women to play an active role in the UK’s upcoming general election. Also, featuring British comedian and actor Jayde Adams, it is designed to empower and engage women in political discourse. Emphasizing the critical role women play in shaping the future, the campaign highlights a significant gender gap among undecided voters, with 20% of women compared to 10% of men.
We have run the visuals for the campaign across London with some key sites specifically across East London as it the stomping ground of many women they hope to reach. Through a mix of bold visuals and impactful messaging, the artwork seeks to inspire women to exercise their right to vote and influence the outcome of the election. This paired with a social film that begins by parodying typical underwear ads before a Jayde Adams begins to discuss pressing political issues affecting women, such as women’s healthcare and gender-based violence.
In our exclusive interview with the team, we delve into the motivations behind their “Swing It, Girls” campaign that highlights their commitment to political engagement, the everyday resilience of women and how they aim make political participation as straightforward as putting on a bra.
WHY DID LEMONADE DOLLS DECIDE TO LAUNCH THE “SWING IT, GIRLS” CAMPAIGN?
Lemonade Dolls have always been a company who wear their politics on their pants, historically supporting organisations like Choose Love. They’re one of the hottest new startups in the UK and have one of the most inclusive brands out there. We spoke to them in January, and it was a no brainer. We’ve all been all in, tits first since then.
HOW DID YOU LAND ON THE NAME?
Swinging your baps into your bra is a daily occurrence for women – whatever shit we have going on. Packed schedules, unpaid care, or health issues for ourselves, we all have to show up and swing ‘em into our bolder holders and get on with our days. ‘Swing it, girls’ is a reminder that all that’s standing between us and having a voice this election is putting on our bras and turning up to the polls. Politics should be as accessible and attainable for any woman as it is getting dressed in the morning.
WHAT DOES THE CAMPAIGN AIM TO ADDRESS?
The campaign aims to address disengagement, pure and simple. We’re all guilty of getting home after a long day, ripping off our bra and snuggling up – we are in a bed rot era after all. But hopefully this campaign will be the reminder to women everywhere that we have power, even if we don’t feel like it at times.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR WOMEN TO ENGAGE IN POLITICS?
Politics is life. Life is politics. The bus you ride every morning to your minimum wage job is late again, the road works hold you up even more on your way there, you get to work, get your period, and you’ve run out of tampons, and you can’t afford any right now… Yep. All politics. We live and we breathe it, and we are disproportionately affected by the things that (often) white male privileged politicians make decisions for us on our behalf.
WHAT LONG TERM GOALS DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE?
Long term we hope to engage more women in politics, and it become a topic that women don’t fear. I myself was raised in a household where the women didn’t vote. It wasn’t for them; it was a thing that happened in big scary London with the blokes. So, if we can make it a topic of convo that women can talk about as easily as bra sizes, we’re winning.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE SYMBOLISM BEHIND THE ARTWORK FOR THE CAMPAIGN?
Our design world leans heavily into the world of protest but clashed with the delicateness bra world (laces and silks) and a modern palette that speaks to women – specifically reclaiming the colour pink as something that is powerful. (Pink is normally seen as a ‘weak, feminine’ colour but to that we say screw you). The symbolism across the whole design world looks at the similarities between politics and bras – again bridging that gap for women. It should feel as accessible as for women to view and discuss as is a DD cup.
HOW DO YOU HOPE THE STREET POSTERS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL IMPACT OF THE CAMPAIGN?
People who are disproportionally affected by politics are everyday people who are out on the streets working their asses off to put food on their table and clothes on their kids’ backs. The streets are where the disengaged women go about their days running after kids, partners, and bosses. Hopefully, they’ll see these on their way, pure and simple.
IF EVERYONE COULD TAKE AWAY ONE THING FROM THE CAMPAIGN, WHAT WOULD YOU HOPE FOR?
VOTE OBVS. It doesn’t matter who or what you vote for, this is about finding your voice. Swing your tits into your bra. Get out there. Cross that box.
HOW CAN PEOPLE SUPPORT THIS CAMPAIGN?
For want of not sounding like an influencer… ‘like, share, comment’. Send it to your mum. Your mum’s best mate. Your neighbour with the newborn. Your elderly nan. Your teenage niece who’s just turned old enough to vote. Anyone who identifies as a woman. Share. Make them aware.
WHAT ROLE HAS LONDON PLAYED IN THE CAMPAIGN’S DEVELOPMENT?
London is obviously (rightly or wrongly) the hub of political decision. This means we’ve targeted those symbolic, ‘far away’ places that we’ve always seen on news channels and ignored like Westminster – dry, stuffy, boring – we took our bras to them. Hopefully, we’ve got their attention.
HOW CAN PEOPLE SUPPORT THE CAUSE?
Donate to the Young Women’s Trust and support the amazing work they do. (Or if you’re in the market for a new bra, buy one and we’ll donate on your behalf). The YWT help women nationwide with issues that affect women most, essentially filling the gap where politics let’s women down. So, voting and donating will two-fold help women’s rights and issues more than you might ever realise.
