21CF Campaigns “Hidden Figures” and “Stand with Malala” Recognized as 2017 Shorty Award Finalists in Multiple Categories for Social Impact and Digital Influence

Mar 21, 2017 8:00 PM ET

21st Century Fox Social Impact

21st Century Fox’s social media campaigns supporting young women in STEM and girls’ access to education were named as finalists for the 9th annual Shorty Awards, which are sponsored by AdWeek and celebrate the best in digital and content marketing on social media.

21CF and PepsiCo’s “Search for Hidden Figures” was named a finalist in the categories of “Best Content and Promotion” and “Best Multicultural Community Engagement”. Inspired by the film Hidden Figures, 21CF and PepsiCo partnered with Pharrell Williams’ organization, i am OTHER, and the New York Academy of Sciences to find the next generation of women who will lead the way in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). The campaign invited women and girls to share their stories of work and potential in STEM fields for the opportunity to win scholarships and other awards totaling over $200,000. The integrated, multi-platform campaign highlighted the importance of diversity in the workplace and the critical need to empower women who want to pursue careers in STEM.

21CF and National Geographic’s Stand with Malala campaign was also named a Shorty Award finalist in the “Best Influencer and Celebrity Facebook Campaign” category for its visual depiction of the world’s loss that occurs when girls are excluded from the classroom. As part of 21CF’s yearlong efforts to support girls’ education, the campaign was created in support of the broadcast premiere of the documentary film He Named Me Malala, which shares the story of Pakistani activist and Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai and her global fight to ensure girls’ access to education. The campaign asked viewers to tweet using the hashtag #withMalala or change their Facebook profile to a special campaign video. The video transformed profile pictures into yearbook photos and then dissolved female users' profile pictures from the page, representing the 60 million girls who are out of school worldwide. For every post or share, 21CF gave $1 to the Malala Fund, in total donating $50,000.

Recognizing that social media has the influence to create global movements and new stars, the Shorty Awards spot industry-wide trends and honor both individual influencers and brands for their work and messaging on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine and more. By constantly evolving along with the medium it celebrates, the Shorty Awards engage an online audience of millions and culminate in a blockbuster ceremony in New York City—winners are chosen through a combination of votes from the public and scores given by the Real Time Academy.

Learn more about the 2017 Shorty Awards and the full list of finalists here. Winners will be announced in New York City on April 23.