Women in Switzerland still earn 20% less than men. On Equal Pay Day, we turned the tables. We enforced equality in a place where men are most sensitive: at ATMs. In collaboration with a Swiss bank, we arranged that when men made cash withdrawals from the ATM, they received only 80% of the selected amount.

The “fair ATM” became the most viral post since the “Frauenzentrale” was on Facebook. It had a major PR impact and became a global model for EPD campaigns in other countries. Nevertheless, our success did not revolutionize the thinking of Swiss men.

In collaboration with a Swiss bank, we arranged that when men made cash withdrawals from the ATM, they received only 80% of the selected amount.

On Equal Pay Day Switzerland, 7 February 2013, around 90 men unwittingly participated in an experiment conducted by the Frauenzentrale of Zurich at three different centrally located automatic teller machines. The men who happened to end up in the role of guinea pigs for the campaign were not left to flounder on their own at the ATM for very long, however. Right after completing their ATM transactions, they were intercepted by a promotional team from the Frauenzentrale and informed in detail about the campaign. Naturally, they were reimbursed the missing 20% of their ATM transaction. We recorded their shocked reactions on hidden camera and compiled the most memorable moments into a video that became our campaign’s actual PR vehicle.

The video of the (un)fair ATMs in operation documents in a symbolic way the real day-to-day discrepancies in salaries paid to men and women in Switzerland. Hence, the Swiss media were more than happy to feature it on Swiss Women’s Day, 8 February 2013.

The attention our “sexist ATMs” video received from the press not only served to inform Swiss audiences about the issues of concern to the Frauenzentrale of Zurich, it also motivated those in power to take action at the political level – and initiate change from the top down.

URL's:

USA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcAOwYmpZW4

Switzerland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHw_JSGSRXU

The “fair ATM” became the most viral post since the “Frauenzentrale” was on Facebook. It had a major PR impact and became a global model for Equal Pay Day campaigns in other countries. Nevertheless, our success did not revolutionize the thinking of Swiss men.

But, following the discussion in the media, the Federal Department of Home Affairs announced that staff at the Federal Office for Gender Equality would be increased and wage controls would be carried out at larger companies.

Documented results:

- 65,000 views within one week ( +12,000 Swiss version)

- 1,000 shares on Facebook within one week

- International shares all over the world – IWMF (International Women’s Media Foundation), Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, Upworthy, CA Men’s Center, Holly Post (USA), 7sur7 (Belgium), Jump Radio, Süddeutsche.de, Equalpayday.de (DE), Equal Pay Day France, Austria and Sweden.