Across many brands, women are often spoken to through their belongings – their cars, their clothes, their things. When women themselves are highlighted, the focus tends to fall on their strength and resilience.
But, the conversations 1st for Women held with women around the country revealed something deeper: women don’t want to feel they must show strength to be taken seriously. They want to be recognised as whole, able to be soft and bold, ambitious and tired, playful and serious, all at once.
That understanding shapes Her first, then her every thing, the brand’s new campaign and direction. It starts with the woman herself: her needs, her limits and her contradictions, and then moves to everything she values and wants protected. It isn’t about redefining her; it’s about lifting her up and supporting her with the same honesty and empathy she brings to the rest of her life.
The power of being seen
The new direction is rooted in findings from the Her and Now: Insights into the Women of South Africa 2025 report, which reveals a notable gap in how women feel represented. Nearly half (46.5%) of the women surveyed said they feel only “somewhat” seen by brands. This reflects a broader desire for recognition.
Jill Mulligan, Head of Marketing 1st for Women and Seugnette van Wyngaard Head of 1st for Women at the launch of the new campaign
“The invisibility crisis among women isn’t just about representation, it’s about recognition of their full humanity,” says Jill Mulligan, Head of Marketing at 1st for Women Insurance. “Women are tired of being seen only through the lens of their productivity or their caregiving roles. They want to be seen first as themselves before being defined by what they do for others.”
The new tagline, “Her first, then her every thing”, responds directly to this. It centres the woman’s first-hand experience before celebrating the many roles she plays and the responsibilities she carries in her family, work and community.
Why the shift from ‘Fearless’?
The research showed that women’s relationship with the idea of fearlessness has evolved. With the accelerating pace of modern life, what once felt energising now feels heavier for many. Women told us that they are constantly being seen as the one who “keeps it all together”, even when life is demanding. They still value strength, but want room to rest and the freedom to show softness or uncertainty without feeling they have let anyone down.
The data shows that:
• 67% of women feel expected to hold everything together daily.
• 96% of women say the right to exhale matters as much as the drive to achieve.
More than 4,000 women contributed to the research. Many described the same contradiction: they feel strong, but they are worn down by being expected to be strong all the time. They are capable, but they are carrying too much. 1st for Women’s move from Fearless to Freedom reflects this shift. It acknowledges that strength and ease can co-exist, that peace is as important as power, and that resilience does not always look like toughness.
Showing the mental load, honestly
1st for Women’s new campaign: the day in the life of protagonist Katlego
The campaign brings the mental load to life by dramatising the constant invasion of women’s headspace. Our protagonist Katlego‘s car won’t start. When she messages her family chat group, people from all her various chats suddenly appear around her. They talk over one another, a physical expression of being bombarded by different voices and expectations. The chaos settles only once the 1st for Women Guardian Angel on Call steps in.
Women on a podium: the visual embodiment of putting her first
The stills extend the idea. Various women are beautifully photographed standing on raised pink podiums, visually lifted above the demands and objects that fill their days: her family, pet, her household possessions, her car, demonstrating that while her “every thing” is valued and protected, she remains “Her first”.
Radio layers messaging group pings and overlapping voice notes to recreate the same sense of overload before the brand voice cuts through. Out-of-home and digital channels maintain the same visual language of elevation, keeping the woman at the centre of the frame, not lost behind the noise of everyday life.
A commitment, not a campaign
1st for Women says the shift goes deeper than advertising.
1st for Women celebrations with brand ambassador Anele Mdoda after winning Ask Afrika Orange Index® Top Short-term Insurer for 2025/2026
“We’re seeing the impact of the work we’ve done, which is why we were named the Ask Afrika Orange Index® Top Short-term Insurer for 2025/2026,” says Mulligan.
“But while our brand is evolving, one thing isn’t changing at all: our commitment to a future free from gender-based violence. Through the 1st for Women Foundation, we’ve raised over R100 million and helped keep more than 100,000 women safe. We fund prevention programmes, education, and support services – from legal assistance to counseling – because real change starts with awareness and action.
“That work sits at the heart of who we are: When a woman chooses us, she becomes an activist – her premiums don’t just protect what matters to her, she’s also helping build a safer South Africa.”
Mulligan concludes; The “Her first, then her every thing” campaign is a declaration that we see her. We cover everything she values after putting her first. We’re saying: ‘We got her because we get her’.”