Only 8% of women in India are primary earners, and bp wanted to do something about it. As a global leader in the energy industry, it set a goal to have at least an equal number of women as men in senior leadership roles. It wanted to ensure it created a workplace that championed diversity and inclusion and where every woman felt seen, heard and empowered. ‘We’re making bp work for women’ highlighted the inequity challenges faced by women and pledged to create change.

The company spoke to over 300 external female candidates, focus groups and senior leaders. Ninety-seven percent worried that flexible working would damage their careers, and female applicants were just a quarter of the talent pool. The resulting campaign encompassed out-of-home advertising, murals by women artists and print advertising in India’s leading newspapers. Digital and social ads, including Spotify, reached women during their downtime, with geofencing ensuring relevance in Pune’s tech hubs.

Every channel drove audiences to a dedicated campaign hub with employee stories, behind the scenes content and opportunities to join bp’s talent community. Employee advocates blogged, vlogged and amplified the campaign. The impact has been substantial – 35.5% of new starters in 2025 were women. Across campaigns, there have been millions of views and a 240% increase in senior-level applications from women, and a 50% uptick in women applying for entry-level positions.