Secret Turns Its Attention to the Music Industry

Secret Deodorant, a longtime champion of women’s equality, revealed today the next frontier in its fight for equal representation for women: the music industry, where women make up just seventeen percent of artists, twelve percent of songwriters and two percent of producers. In an effort to create more opportunities for women in music, Secret has pledged to feature “100% women-made” music in all future campaigns, enlisting female singers and songwriters to create tracks for all marketing efforts, beginning in 2020.
 
Beyond its own creative endeavors, the brand will also do its part to help women get a fair shot in the music industry. Through a partnership with leading industry non-profit Women in Music (WIM), whose mission is to educate, empower and advance women in the music industry, Secret will offer to 250 aspiring female musicians one of the most valuable resources: access to female mentors.
 
“As a brand for women, we consistently strive to elevate other women in all we do. But when it comes to the production of music for our campaigns, it has frankly been a struggle to do so, as women are so significantly underrepresented in the music industry,” said Sara Saunders, associate brand director, Secret, P&G. “We want to change that. We’ve heard from women that there’s one thing that can make all the difference in their careers, and that’s access to other women in the industry.”
 
Via its partnership with WIM, Secret is kicking off a talent search through which women in music can score a number of opportunities to help heighten their profiles and build valuable connections, including:
 

• Annual WIM memberships for 250 women
• WIM mentorships with industry artists and executives for 50 women
• Access to Music Biz 2020 for two women
• Music Week Badges to SXSW and travel/accommodation for two women
• The opportunity to have their music featured in a future Secret ad

 
This latest move from Secret is in line with the brand’s longstanding advocacy for women’s equality. Most recently, Secret made headlines when it donated more than one half-million dollars to women’s soccer players in an effort to close the gender pay gap. Secret’s parent company, Procter & Gamble, is also a prominent supporter of women’s equality, playing an active role in the Association of National Advertisers’ #SeeHer movement.
 
In concert with the new campaign, Secret will also launch its new Secret Dry Sprays, which provide sweat and odor protection for 48 hours. Formulated with scent technologies, Secret Dry Sprays are activated when skin comes into contact with moisture and friction, ensuring that the product is working hard throughout the day.
 
“We’re committed to supporting women in music, from protecting them against sweat as they take the stage to helping them forge the connections that are so critical to making progress,” added Saunders. “After all, there are many things that women in the music industry have to sweat, but we believe inequality should never be one of them.”