Nu-Shu is the world’s only known language and writing system created by women for women in 19th Century China as a powerful blend of art, language, and resistance. Once a secret way for women to share their stories and solidarity in a patriarchal society, Nu-Shu not only looks beautiful, but is a testament to the power of women’s voices. Inspired by Nu Shu–an ancient, secret language created only for women–beauty brand LUX is rewriting sexist traditions by creating meaningful new names that reflect the spirit of modern women in China. As a result, Women in China are ‘self-renaming’–changing their traditional, stereotypical names to reclaim their identity.
China is known for innovation, but girls in China are frequently given traditional, stereotypical names that emphasise fragility, weakness, or even a parental preference for boys – common examples include ‘I Wish You Were a Boy’ or ‘Bring a Son’. In a move towards a more gender-equal society, women are rejecting old-fashioned names which are out of sync with China’s modern and progressive society. and more women are now legally changing their names. However, the process remains challenging. Bureaucratic hurdles, including regional inconsistencies and complex procedures, often deter women from taking the transformative step of officially changing their name.
This is why leading beauty brand LUX is introducing Reclaim Her Name, a new campaign that inspires women to take control of their identity and practice ‘self-renaming’. Reclaim Her Name is a digital tool that lives on China’s three predominant social channels to help women change their traditional, stereotypical names by offering them new versions of their original names and motivating them to start the process of taking control of their identities.
As a beauty brand that aims to empower women to find strength in their beauty and rise above the judgements they face, LUX worked with creative agency VML Singapore to create Reclaim Her Name. A dynamic digital tool that helps women in China to change their names, all with a simple shake of their mobile phones.
Offering women the chance to take control of their identity through self-renaming, this intuitive platform both simplifies and beautifies the process of name changing in China. Reclaim Her Name is a digital tool (in HTML5) that works across China’s three biggest social platforms: WeChat, Weibo, and Rednote. Women enter their current name into the app, then simply shake their phone to generate a new name, using similar characters to their original name but creating a new version with a more modern and empowering meaning. Repeating the process until they’re inspired by one that truly resonates and reflects their self-identity. Each name is thoughtfully crafted based on the strokes, elements, and sounds of its original name. Not satisfied? Shake again until you find a name that genuinely resonates.
As well as creating new names, LUX created a bespoke typeface for Reclaim Her Name: New Women’s Font. The typeface is inspired by the ancient script of Nu Shu, the world’s only writing system created by and for women. Watch a film about the campaign below:
This modern tool for female empowerment draws on an ancient source of feminist inspiration: Nu Shu, a unique ‘script of the sisterhood’ first created during the Song Dynasty. Unlike traditional Chinese characters, this secret language was exclusively used by women, passed down through generations as a way to express emotions, share stories, and preserve their cultural heritage in a patriarchal society that often sought to silence them.
Inspired by Nu Shu’s flowing, coded strokes, LUX designed New Women’s font—a contemporary typeface that pays homage to this resilient and resourceful spirit. Reclaim Her Name deconstructs oppressive and outdated names, reforming them into powerful new alternatives that imbue them with the strength and resilience of their foremothers.
The Reclaim Her Name campaign follows at 2022 third-party study which mapped the prevalence of sexist names across provinces in China. Reclaim Her Name runs across social media platforms WeChat, Weibo and Rednote in China, is led by a film featuring women whose ‘traditional’ names – 亚楠 Ya Nan (a homonym of “Inferior To Man”); 根娣 Gen Di (a homonym of “Bring A Son”) and 萃娣 Cui Di (a homonym of “Pushing For A Boy”) – reflect the deep-seated preference for sons over daughters, and the extent of China’s sexist naming culture.
To amplify Reclaim Her Name’s campaign message of self-transformation, LUX is collaborating with influential ambassadors throughout China (real women who have changed their own names) to lead by example and to encourage other women to try out the digital tool.
Judy Zu, Global Brand Director, LUX says: “Each Chinese character is an alchemy of sound and symbol: the same strokes, rearranged, weave blessings or critiques. At LUX, we believe every woman deserves a name that becomes a mirror to her strength and a compass for her journey. Yet, even today, profound bias still lurks behind many women’s names. That’s why we created Reclaim Her Name: not just to rename, but to reignite. Because every woman can – and should – sculpt her identity unapologetically, just as characters transform with every stroke, so can we.”
Marco Versolato, Chief Creative Officer – WPP@Unilever, VML Singapore adds:“Inspired by an ancient, secret language created only for women, we’re rewriting sexist traditions to create meaningful new names that reflect the spirit of modern, dynamic women in China.”
