Kim Gehrig on Returning to 'This Girl Can'

Last week, Sport England and FCB Inferno released their follow-up to the hugely acclaimed This Girl Can, with a new campaign encouraging women to try new sports and feel less judged while doing it. Following its release, we spoke to director of both the original and new spots, Kim Gehrig.

How did you approach this ad vs the first one?

I wanted to keep the same soul to the campaign as the last one while moving it on. A true sequel, not a reinvention. 

This time, our aim was to make it both more intimate and more epic simultaneously. We shot on wide lenses so we got up close and personal, in the action. The first was more long lens and observed. 

This time it was really important to me to get all the women together at the end of the shoot as I wanted to show and feel them all supporting each other and cheering each other on. The first campaign was more about individuals and body image, where as this one was much more about the collective and women supporting other women.  

How do you think attitudes have changed in the time since the first ad?

The first This Girl Can was made when tabloids were still publishing photos of girls' cellulite… which has now amazingly become less prevalent. 

And since the first campaign 2.8 million women have participated in sport which didn’t previously. There is now a large community of women who are with and behind us. The second spot was for them. 

Also, with all that is going on in the world, I think there is much more of an atmosphere where women need to stick together and be strong together. 

See the original ad by clicking on this link.