Personal care brand Dove has announced a two year global partnership with Cartoon Network’s animated television series Steven Universe - the first animated series on the channel to be created by a woman, Rebecca Sugar.
Characters from the children’s cartoon will be used to promote body confidence and self-esteem among young people.
This comes as part of Dove’s Self-Esteem Project, which works to promote confidence and self-worth through educational programmes.
“We are passionate about evolving the types of messages the next generation are receiving through media, which is why we are working side by side with partners to take the programme to the next level,” said Sophie Galvani, Dove’s Global Vice President.
“We are introducing new tools to enable us to reach even more young people with content that not only educates but also entertains.
“By partnering with Cartoon Network and Rebecca Sugar we are able to create new way to make a real impact towards our mission of helping young people build positive body confidence and self-esteem.”
Future Plans
The content of the short films have been based around scientific evidence from body image expert Dr Phillippa Diedrichs, a research psychologist with a PhD in Health Psychology from the University of Queensland, Australia.
Diedrichs said: “Appearance ideals and stereotypes are widespread in children’s media.
“It is vital to have new content that encourages children to have a positive relationship with the way they look and showcases a diverse and inclusive range of appearances.”
Dove also intends to release a song - and music video - featuring the cast of the show to promote young people’s uniqueness and diversity.
Creator of Steven Universe Sugar believes that cartoons are a powerful media when it comes to empathy and understanding.
She added: “I’m grateful that I will have access to a plethora of research on body image and mental health thanks to this partnership with Dove Self-Esteem Project.
“This is an issue I have struggled with personally and I hope this will be a chance to amplify positive messages about self-awareness and acceptance.”
Dove’s initiative started in 2004 and now reaches 140 countries globally and intends to reach 40 million young people by 2020.