Activia Spotlights the Strength of Women With New 'It Starts Inside' Campaign

As the brand's newest creative, "Don't Tell Me I Can't" features candid interviews with women who face the realization that self-doubt is often the biggest barrier that can hold them back. The spot offers a look at women's determination when told that they can't achieve something by others, with confident assertions that they would "laugh in their face" and "prove them wrong." When asked if they've ever told themselves that they can't do something, these same women recall moments of self-doubt, saying that they've had to face their inner critic to accomplish their goals.

According to research conducted by Activia, 80% of women agree that they are their own worst critic*. Activia wants to inspire women to rise above their inner critic, and for each woman to recognize that she is filled with the potential to achieve whatever she wants – no matter how big or small. Activia believes this starts inside.

"The 'It Starts Inside' campaign embraces a new brand purpose and vision to encourage every woman to overcome her inner hurdles and unlock the potential to be her best self," said Carolina Cespedes, Senior Brand Director for Activia at The Dannon Company. "We're marrying the benefits of our yogurt with a new rallying cry – It Starts Inside – to offer a product and platform to help women feel good inside and out."

As part of this positive call to action, Activia will sponsor Girls Who Code, a national non-profit organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in the technology field. With the aim of helping young women unleash their core potential and pursue their dreams, Activia will donate $250,000 to empower the next generation of women.

The "Don't Tell Me I Can't" launch follows Activia's newly announced partnership and national TV commercial with Sarah Thomas. Highlighting the challenges and motivations behind her historic appointment as the NFL's first full-time female official, Thomas' recent ad for Activia draws on her personal experience to bring the 'It Starts Inside' platform to life with a relatable and inspirational story of her journey.

Activia's relaunch includes refreshed product packaging. The iconic yogurt will retain the same exceptional taste, smooth texture and billions of Activia's exclusive probiotics found in every cup to help take care of what's inside.

The 'It Starts Inside' campaign will continue to roll out throughout 2017. For more information about Activia visit Activia.us.com/it-starts-inside, or follow #ItStartsInside.

* Activia's new brand purpose is informed by U.S. consumer research, which found that 80% of women feel that they're their own worst critic in a survey of nearly 1,500 U.S. women ages 25-55 with research partner Global Web Index.

About The Dannon Company
Headquartered in White Plains, New York, Dannon is the leading maker of yogurt in the USA and has plants in Minster, OH, Fort Worth, TX, West Jordan, UT, and Portland, OR. Dannon makes more than 200 different flavors, styles and sizes of cultured refrigerated and frozen dairy products to serve its retail and foodservice customers. In its pursuit to bring health through food to as many people as possible, Dannon is committed to Americans enjoying yogurt every day as one of the three recommended daily servings of dairy.

Dannon is a subsidiary of Danone, and Dannon is the top-selling brand of yogurt worldwide, sold under the names Dannon and Danone. Danone holds top positions globally in healthy food through four businesses: it ranks number one worldwide in fresh dairy products, number two in bottled water and baby nutrition, and is Europe's number one medical nutrition company. Listed on Euronext Paris, Danone is a component stock of leading social responsibility indexes including the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes DJSI Stoxx and DJSI World, ASPI Eurozone and the Ethibel Sustainability Index.

SOURCE Dannon