Following a Dove report, which found 74% of UK women believe the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty, Dove is encouraging brands and advertisers to portray body images more responsibly.
The Unilever brand is a founding partner of the Be Real movement, which is a voluntary initiative to help brands and advertisers encourage healthy body image in the UK.
Mary Glindon, MP, Co-Chair of the Be Real Campaign, says: “By signing up to the Be Real Body Image Pledge, companies and media organisations can become part of a movement to deliver real change for people across the country.”
The 2016 Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report found four in ten women feel worse about themselves after looking at images of beautiful women in magazines.
Organisations that sign up to the pledge are committing their intention to reflect diversity and reality in their messages and advertising and to promote health and wellbeing. Mark Bleathman, Vice President of Personal Care at Unilever UK, says: “For 60 years, Dove has stood for real beauty – it only uses real women in its advertising and follows a strict policy on airbrushing and Photoshop.”
He adds: “That’s why we are so passionate about Dove taking a leadership role on the Be Real Body Image Pledge – the time to end body image anxiety is now, and Dove is fully committed to driving change in the UK for the benefit of everyone.”
Companies and brands can show support for the pledge by sharing the hashtag #PledgeToBeReal on social media.
To find out how to get involved, go to dove.com or berealcampaign.co.uk.
