Dove Renews Campaign for Real Beauty
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) threatens the representation of real beauty today, Dove commits to never using AI to represent real women in its ads.
20 years ago, Dove showed the world what beauty looks like when it’s real with the Campaign for Real Beauty.
In 2004, it began with a startling truth; only 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. Since then, the Campaign for Real Beauty has challenged society, media and the beauty industry itself to change its representation of women, be transparent about digital distortion and face-up to the harmful impact unrealistic beauty standards have on women and girls.
To mark 20 years of the Campaign for Real Beauty, Dove conducted a sweeping study of beauty around the world to understand how beauty impacts women and girls today. While there has been some positive change, the state of beauty in 2024 isn’t pretty.
The outsized value society placed on appearance has intensified the pressure to be a certain type of beautiful. In its 2024 The Real State of Beauty: a global report, Dove finds that:
2-in-5 would give up a year of their life to achieve an ideal look or body
One of the biggest threats to the representation of real beauty is Artificial Intelligence
Almost 9 in 10 women and girls say they have been exposed to harmful beauty content online.
Singer-songwriter Jessie-J, working in partnership with Dove, comments:
“It’s no secret that across the world, including the music industry, women, girls and those who identify as non-binary, face a huge amount of pressure about the way they look. The trends are ever changing and more intense and so it’s a never-ending trap and box to fit in of what “beauty” is. It’s unhealthy, unrealistic, and relentless. Social media and emerging technology like AI are accelerating that pressure at an alarming rate. It’s terrifying what it could do to the now and the future generations of young people trying to work out life and who they are. That’s why I am honoured and passionate to be working with Dove to keep beauty real and honest to who we are. I will continue to use my voice to celebrate the diversity of all women.”