Sign up for afaqs! Newsletters
Dove’s new campaign focuses on the effects of toxic beauty content on kids and teens
The PSA campaign examines how content revolving around toxic beauty standard affects the mental health of teens and children
“Appearance hate is the real cost of toxic beauty standards,” says Dove in its new campaign titled ‘Cost of Beauty’. The campaign’s message revolves around Dove’s philosophy about bringing in change towards toxic beauty standards.
The brand has also undertaken an exercise called ‘Self-Esteem Project’ where they surveyed kids using social media and studied its impact on them. The brand has further partnered with American artist Lizzo, Common Sense Media, and Parents Together Action to continue to push for a systemic change through 2023 Kids Online Safety Act.
The campaign is supported by a 3-minute film showcasing the life of a young child ‘Mary’ who seems to be content and is enjoying her childhood until she gets a phone. Mary is then seen consuming a lot of content around beauty standards which start affecting how she perceives herself. It is then revealed that Mary is currently in recovery from an eating disorder. “The cost of toxic beauty content is greater than we think,” says the brand in the film. The film then shows several other young women who are in recovery from various other mental health issues like depression, anxiety and body dysmorphia.
The main goal for the campaign is to call for more transparency and responsibility from social-media platforms while serving minors.
Dove cmo, Alessandro Manfredi says, “While certain aspects of social media can promote creativity and connection for young people, data has shown toxic content online is harming the mental health of today’s youth. If there isn’t real change, young people will continue to pay with their wellbeing.”
“We have a responsibility to act and support a safer environment on social media, helping protect young people’s mental health. This means going beyond individual interventions to drive systemic change,” she adds.
Dove has been campaigning towards body positivity and inclusivity for several years now. It recently partnered with social media giant TikTok that pushed users to celebrate their ‘Real Beauty’.