You may remember this story from a few months back.

A straightforward recruiting ad featuring Isis Anchalee went from a metro poster to a following and almost a movement.

In response to accusations (i.e. is this a real employee?) and blatant and disgusting sexism, Isis sort simply to clarify what it means to be an engineer today #ilooklikeanengineer

In the blink of a post, we had moved from the realm of advertising to advocacy, from a glossy image to a conversation that connected with and involved a far-greater community of women (and men).

The irony is that it was the same person who appeared on the ad that became a voice and created a following on social media – because of and almost in spite of the ad.

So what lessons can we learn from this?

Think about how best to connect with your target audience.

Empower your people to tell and share their stories.

Don’t be afraid to confront the big issues; your people aren’t.  

Even if you are advertising, make it something your people are proud of and would support and ultimately defend.

Read Isis’s account of her role as an accidental hero on LinkedIn.