- Do you tell think your child is the best thing ever? Of course you do.
- Do you tell him or her that all the time? Probably.
- Is that a great idea? Probably not.
Sometimes it seems that helicopter parents won’t stop overprotecting their children – helping turn them into entitled adults with no concept of the real world or how to survive in (and even contribute to) it. Well, Mercy Academy – an all-girl Catholic school in Louisville, Kentucky – is taking matters into its own hands, with an ad campaign designed to be a slap in the face to young ladies and their parents. Not an abusive slap in the face, though…more of a Cher in Moonlighting gesture designed to make people “Snap out of it!”
The basic message: you’re not a princess. Life’s not a fairy tale. No prince is going to rescue you. It’s up to you to take control of your life via a great education (available presumably at Mercy Academy), so that you can go on and do the great things you believe should be in your future.
This campaign is making waves well beyond the Mercy Academy recruiting area. Why?
- It’s a message that is hitting home with society in general. A society sick of coddling…and ready for reality messaging to change our current course.
- It’s a message that is a bit shocking coming from a Catholic school, giving it instant legs by those who want to share socially the latest breakthroughs.
- It’s a message that Mercy Academy has given an ability to share easily by creating the hashtag #morethanaprincess.
More than a princess. Once you get past the initial brutal blow of being told you or your child is not a princess, you can dig deeper into the campaign and realize this is not an insult-driven concept. It’s about empowerment. And just like that, the ad clinches the deal…likely converting their newly increased awareness into higher enrollment.
