What is the Beautifully Powerful Campaign Going On?

As I began researching for this softball focused blog, I kept coming across players saying #beautifullypowerful with shades of bright blues and purples flashing in images.  At first I ignored the colorful pictures and the girly saying thinking it had nothing to do with my beloved dirt, sweat, and blood stained oriented sport.  I grew up thinking girls should not wear pink, make up, or sparkles on the field. Camo, black uniforms, war paint, and dirt stains was the desired look. Proving that you were a tough threatening player to be reckoned with was the goal.  Seeing these girly pictures mentioning beauty had no correlation to softball to me.  I then started seeing more and more photos of girls wearing dresses, cleats, and war paint on softball fields.  Seeing the raw images of girls wearing dresses while contradicting these dresses with fierce war painted faces began to intrigue me.  What was this marketing campaign? Why are girls wearing prom dresses to dirt-covered fields and holding gloves and softball bats as if they were weapons?

I decided to find out. I quickly learned that the marketing campaign is being run by Louisville Slugger for fastpitch softball and the face of the campaign is two time Olympian Jessica Mendoza.  As I learned more about the campaign, the more I impressed I became.  I greatly admired how they made an outfielder the face rather than the typical pitcher.  Seeing other players on the field being represented and recognized is great change.   I found a few videos explaining the campaign.  The main point from the campaign is to be yourself because you are beautiful the way you are.  Jessica Mendoza intensely explains,

“Be yourself, be what you think is beautiful, not what others think is beautiful. What you see in the mirror is beauty. Softball is a game for every body type, therefore don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t dream and be that amazing player you want to be.  Anyone who works hard enough can become successful in the game.”

This message is very empowering. It is bringing young girls together and helping them learn that even if they are short, tall, have a lot of muscle, don’t have much muscle, that they can become a player like Jessica Mendoza on the field.  Nothing should stand in their way.  Girls are being reassured that they can be themselves, the dorky girl, the artsy girl, the girl with crazy hair are all beautiful in their own way.  It’s ok to be girly and play softball.  You can be contradicting just like the campaign.  You do not have to fit a stereotype.  As long as you are true to yourself, you will be great.

The campaign is wonderful. I plan to continue to follow it as long as it runs.  I even tried to contact Louisville Fastpitch to gain the brand wristbands for my softball playing nieces (with no luck).  I still hope the campaign continues to be a great success!

Below are videos and pictures of the campaign.

http://www.slugger.com/fastpitch-softball/ (Video)

Photo credit: twitter.com and pinterest.com