British tennis star Emma Raducanu recently faced harsh criticism from television personality Piers Morgan for her involvement in a women empowerment campaign with HSBC. The campaign, part of HSBC’s broader Financial Health Strategy initiative, centers on reshaping classic fairytales to encourage young girls to aspire to financial independence. However, Morgan took issue with the campaign’s message and its attempt to redefine traditional stories, labeling it as “woke” and dismissing it as an “absurd” narrative.
In collaboration with acclaimed British author and illustrator Emma Dodd, HSBC reimagined well-known fairytales to emphasize themes of self-reliance and economic independence. The campaign’s cornerstone is a book titled *Fairer Tales*, which reinvents classic stories to feature empowered female characters who pursue their own goals, establish careers, and make thoughtful financial choices. Through these retold stories, HSBC and Dodd aim to inspire young girls to cultivate financial acumen and pursue economic security.
Raducanu, who signed on as HSBC’s global brand ambassador in 2022, is featured prominently in a commercial for the campaign. In the ad, she reads aloud from *Fairer Tales*, presenting characters such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel not as passive figures awaiting rescue, but as ambitious women who use their resources wisely and work toward financial success. The campaign’s message is clear: young girls should be empowered to pursue their dreams independently and understand the importance of financial literacy. At one point, Raducanu summarizes the moral of the revamped tales: “So, in the end, the princesses didn’t need a prince to save them. They set up their own businesses, saved their money, and spent it very wisely.”
While the campaign has garnered praise for its progressive take on fairytales, Piers Morgan has expressed a very different perspective. Known for his outspoken and sometimes controversial views, Morgan criticized both the commercial and Raducanu’s role in it. On his talk show, he accused the campaign of “trashing men” and dismissed the idea that the new narratives effectively promote women’s empowerment. He asserted that the advertisement’s core message—that women do not need men for their success—lacks nuance and is misleading.
Morgan argued that Raducanu’s own life and career do not align with the message presented in the commercial. He highlighted the fact that Raducanu’s father, Ian Raducanu, has been a central figure in her career, serving as a manager and key supporter. He also noted that all five of her coaches throughout her journey in professional tennis have been men, claiming that these mentors were instrumental in helping her achieve success. In Morgan’s view, this context contradicts the campaign’s implication that women can succeed entirely on their own without any support from men.
“Of course, we all know, the best way to improve the aspirations of women is by trashing men. As Emma said, women don’t need men at all. She certainly didn’t need men to get to where she is today… except for her father, who manages her career, and her five coaches who are all male,” Morgan commented sarcastically. His remarks underscore his belief that the campaign oversimplifies the path to female empowerment, ignoring the complex networks of support—both male and female—that many successful individuals rely on.
Morgan extended his critique beyond Raducanu’s personal journey, pointing to the structure of HSBC itself. He observed that several high-ranking positions on the HSBC board, including chairman, chief executive, and chief financial officer, are held by men. He used this as an example of what he calls the “virtue-signaling” nature of the campaign, arguing that HSBC is promoting a narrative that doesn’t fully align with its own internal practices. “Then there is her agent Max Eisenbud who is very, very good at maximizing her income… despite the fact he is a man. And then in a final twist of this tale of virtue-signaling treachery, it turns out the chairman, chief executive, and chief financial officer on HSBC’s board of directors are all men too,” Morgan stated.
This isn’t the first time Morgan has taken issue with what he perceives as “woke” advertising or messaging. His critique highlights ongoing debates about how companies approach social issues, including gender equality and empowerment, in their marketing strategies. Critics argue that some brands use progressive themes to gain consumer favor without making substantive changes within their organizations or industries. For Morgan, HSBC’s campaign serves as an example of what he believes is a superficial attempt to appear socially responsible without addressing deeper structural issues.
In response to the backlash, Raducanu and HSBC have not issued any formal statements addressing Morgan’s comments. However, the campaign has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with some users praising the effort to inspire young girls and others questioning whether it accurately reflects the challenges of gender equality in modern society. The debate around this campaign, along with Morgan’s critique, underscores the complexities of using traditional narratives to promote contemporary social values, as well as the balance between individual success and the support systems that make it possible.
Overall, the *Fairer Tales* campaign stands as part of HSBC’s broader commitment to fostering financial literacy and independence for women. Whether or not the messaging resonates universally, the initiative has ignited conversations about the role of storytelling in shaping young girls’ perceptions of success, independence, and gender dynamics in today’s world.