The Smurfs are doing their bit to promote gender equality across its global audiences with the launch of a new style guide for 2023, placing the Sustainable Development Goal number five at the centre of its look.

The 2023 look places Smurfette front and centre of the campaign to drive gender equality with messaging including “We Smurf All Equals”, “Equality has no Gender”, and “He For She” on various graphics depicting the strength and resilience of the only female Smurf.

Since June 2019, IMPS – the licence holder for The Smurfs – has worked with the United Nations as part of the UN’s Media Pact to act as ambassadors of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Under the agreement, the brand routinely calls out these goals through activations and campaigns, such as European Beach Clean-Ups and more.

The development goals are recognised as building blocks towards a better and more sustainable way of life for people and the planet. The UN is on a mission to help integrate these goals into the everyday life of citizens the world over.

Goal number five, Gender Equality is the strive to achieve equality and empower all women and girls around the world. It is set out to tackle vital issues surrounding inequality. For instance, between 2007 and 2021, only 57% of women aged 15 to 49 were empowered to make their own informed decisions on sex and reproductive health care.

Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder of Products of Change which works closely with The United Nations through various programmes, said: “‘The Smurfs continue to use the brand’s creative humour to drive positive and social change through their campaigns aligning closely to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

“Imagine if all brands within industry did this, what wonderful change we could make as a collective…”