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Mar 3, 20194 min read

Dream Big Princess (… and Princes?)

Updated: Apr 3, 2019


The 8th March 2019 marks International Women's Day #IWD2019, and girls are once again being encouraged to #DreamBigPrincess to inspire them to achieve their ambitions, but what about the boys? are they being left behind? Why are companies and mass media focussing on the female point of view? Surely to obtain true equality all genders should be considered and targeted appropriately.


The #DreamBigPrincess Campaign was launched by Walt Disney Company in 2016 with the goal of inspiring young girls to realize their full potential and dream big.


"You defy the impossible Got a heart unstoppable You are more than ready Yeah Not just a fighter Not just a dreamer Amazing creator Relentless believer In who I am and what I got inside Dream, see, write, live your story" (Lyrics from 'Live your Story')

Images of girls having fun such as riding bikes, playing football, swinging on a ropes can all be found during the 2018 inspirational video. This video initially brought a positive emotional response and a feeling of hope and pride that girls are being encouraged to take part in activities which stereotypical programming may not have previously promoted; however where are the boys? Surely all young children should be inspired to 'Dream Big'.


'Live Your Story' video, the official song for the 2018 #DreamBigPrincess campaign


'Be a Champion' video, the official song for the 2016 #DreamBigPrincess campaign


The recent rise in female empowerment issues is no doubt the inspiration behind Disney's recent campaigns, and although these are extremely important messages to send to children, in particular young girls, Disney may have missed a valuable opportunity to provide the next generation with a sense of balance and as a result create true equality in the long run .


The campaign has not been without its critics however; in 2017 Disney signed a 3 year partnership with the Football Association in an attempt to get more girls interested in football, despite the FA having no female board members and the reported shocking pay gap of its players (£25,000 salary for Women's England Captain compared to £13,000,000 for her male counterpart). In an Independent article of 26th July 2017 it was reported that the campaign was having a contradictory affect. The general consensus is that using Disney Princesses as role models for the FA campaign for girls football goes against its intentions; it is thought that the very idea of being princess-like is unachievable when playing sport or particularly football.


"Being an athlete, in a sport like football, is not pretty. Leaving it all on the pitch, pushing your body to its limits, and fighting aggressively to win are a far-cry from the characteristics of the composed, aloof and unbearably feminine figure of a princess." https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/disney-fa-dream-big-princess-football-campaign-keep-girls-out-of-sport-england-team-a7860676.html (26 July 2017)

This article is very one sided and they have missed the whole ethos behind the campaign, why shouldn't a girl look pretty and still play sport? It is the characteristics of the Disney Princesses which the #DreamBigPrincess campaign is trying to highlight not just her appearance. Yes, a girl or woman likes to look pretty not only for others but more importantly for herself, however that is not to say she cannot still be courageous (like Merida), brave (like Mulan), intelligent (like Belle) or adventurous (like Moana) to list a few.


A recent photography campaign for #DreamBigPrincess which involved 19 female photographers from around the globe, where positive images of strong female role models were produced, has tried to stay away from the Disney Princess imagery. This aspect to the Disney campaign was produced in partnership with United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign, each time an image is shared or liked via social media using the #DreamBigPrincess hashtag, Disney will donate $1 with the aim to raise $1 million for the foundation which promotes leadership amongst young females.



A vast range of subject matter was covered during the #DreamBigPrincess photography campaign from a teenage author of a STEM coding book, a surfing champion, a Paralympic gold medallist, the England football team, the youngest female to speak at the United Nations, as the project aims to highlight a diverse range of empowering stories whilst not depicting any of the Disney Princesses with the exception of a girls soccer team who are photographed having a Princess party in the garden where the girls have a water fight resulting in them all becoming muddy princesses.


These images are motivating and will hopefully prove inspirational to many young girls to strive to achieve their ambitions or try new things.


However, if any advice could be offered to Disney for future campaigns; why not ditch the Princess within the hashtag and utilise other Disney branded characters to appeal to both young males and females alike. Dream Bigger Disney after you do have Star Wars, Marvel and Indiana Jones franchises in your arsenal, why not use them to inspire the next generation so we have a better more gender balanced world.



 

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