A name is more than a label but a reflection of who we are and aspire to be. Yet, for countless women in China, their names echo the weight of outdated expectations and ingrained cultural bias. Social listening uncovered deeply troubling stories: names like Zhao Di ("I wish you were a boy") and Ya Nan ("secondary to man") reveal a painful legacy of disappointment and inequality.
But Chinese women are speaking out – and they're being heard.
Across China, women are sharing their stories and calling out the sexism embedded in names never truly theirs, leading to viral conversations and igniting a nationwide movement to challenge the narrative.
Empowering women through the Shake For Change H5 experience
To spotlight the pervasive issue and empower women to take control of their identities, LUX created the Shake For Change H5 experience.
Accessible via WeChat, Weibo, and Rednote, this interactive experience spotlights the struggles women face with names that no longer serve them and empower them to take a bold step towards self-expression
How It Works:
- Enter Your Current Name – Users enter their given name which carries the weight of cultural expectation or disappointment.
- Shake for Inspiration – With a shake of their phone, a bold new name is revealed
- Find Your Perfect Fit – Users can continue to shake for more name inspirations or share their favorite with friends and followers.
Shake For Change bridges the gap between emotion and action, turning a daunting, bureaucratic process into an empowering journey.
Honoring heritage with New Women's Font
LUX created a dynamic typeface, New Women's Font, inspired from the historic Nu Shu script to honor the women who pioneered it. Translating to 'women's script', Nu Shu was crafted by women and used in secrecy to express stories of pain, resilience and sisterhood under a patriarchal society.
The New Women's Font serves as a powerful way to write modern female names, imbuing them with resilience of their foremothers, helping women break free from outdated traditions to boldly rewrite their futures.
Reimagining names with AI
Leveraging AI, each name is crafted to maintain a meaningful connection to the individual's existing name to preserve its personal significance while carrying symbolic meaning.
Judy Zu, Global Brand Director, LUX, said, "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 Shake For Change: 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."
Amplifying voices through the Rednote Ambassador Program
LUX has partnered with influential female voices on Rednote who embraced the transformative journey of Shake For Change firsthand. Through personal narratives, they show how a name can be a turning point. Their stories illuminate a universal truth: when a woman defines herself on her own terms, she unlocks a deeper sense of self-worth and possibility.
Discover the Shake For Change H5 experience and discover your own transformation. Visit LUX's official pages on WeChat, Weibo, and Rednote to learn more and join a community of women rewriting their futures, one powerful name at a time.
Hashtag: #LUX
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About LUX
LUX has been celebrating beauty and femininity since 1925. We understand that beauty is a woman's armour, her source of strength. It is hers to express, unapologetically. We will continue to help women everywhere to rise above judgements they face at home, in the workplace and in wider society.
About VML
At VML we exist to inspire growth for ambitious brands. Part creative agency, part consultancy and part technology company, our experts provide end-to-end capabilities at a global scale to deliver inspiration across the entire brand and customer experience.
For more information, please visit us at 
https://www.vml.com
