Catholic High School Tells Girls: "You Are Not a Princess"

A Kentucky Catholic high school for girls has launched a campaign aimed at dispelling “silly fairy tales.”

“You’re not a princess,” a Mercy Academy ad reads. “But you can still rule the world.”

The ads and promotional video are part of the school’s effort to encourage young women to write their own story and “don’t wait for a prince. Be able to rescue yourself.”

The campaign has caught media attention, even landing a profile on the TODAY show.

“Our girls are growing up in a society where they’re told by their parents that they’re a princess, and our message is that they’re not a princess, they’re so much more,” Mercy principal Amy Elstone told TODAY Moms.

Rebecca Cullers at AdWeek said she was impressed by the ads, which were designed by ad agency Doe-Anderson:

“Is this a new message? No, it's many decades old. Is it a common message? Sadly, also no. This type of talk is not only still new to a lot of people, it's particularly timely as the Disney-princess empire continues to expand by dainty leaps and fierce bounds.”

According to the school’s creed, the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, South Central Community, educates each student in the values of Jesus, diversity, compassion, leadership, service and self-discipline.

View the rest of the ads here.