Dove Reminds Us of What It Felt Like To Struggle (and Survive) With Emotional Film

Dove Reminds Us of What It Felt Like To Struggle (and Survive) With Emotional Film

News by Anja Paspalj
Published: April 14, 2023

Dove’s long-standing Self-Esteem Project has launched the Campaign for Kids Online Safety in partnership with Emmy award-winning musician Lizzo, Common Sense Media and ParentsTogether Action to address youth mental health issues related to social media content. 

Key to the campaign is an emotional three-minute film titled “Cost of Beauty” which explores the true story of a young girl from childhood to early adolescence. As Mary grows and explores the world of social media content, she begins to develop an eating disorder.  

Set to a cover of “You Are So Beautiful,” the campaign film concludes with a shot of Mary today, now in recovery, with her mother. Other survivors of mental health issues also appear with their parents at the end of the film, strengthening Dove’s sentiment for the Campaign for Kids Online Safety.  

According to market research from the 2023 Dove Self-Esteem Project study, 8 in 10 youth mental health specialists say social media is fuelling a mental health crisis. Additionally, more than 50% of young people say social media makes them and their peers feel anxious and 58% of American parents believe the only way to get social media platforms to change is to implement legislation.  

“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,” said Alessandro Manfredi, Chief Marketing Officer for Dove in a press release. 

The touching film and partnership with a major celebrity like Lizzo aim to draw traction to Dove’s main goal; advancing the KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act) bill. The bill pushes for transparency of social media apps and algorithms.  

This is one of many projects that Dove has worked on to achieve this goal, including the recently released #NoDigitalDistortion and #ReverseSelfie campaigns. 

"Real change requires partnership, advocacy, and a commitment to do the work on the ground.  We are proud to partner with Dove to advance our mission to require platforms to make safety the default and ensure social media is a safer place for today's generation," added Jim Steyer, the CEO of Common Sense Media. 

By using its platform to champion causes related to the beauty and social media industries, Dove continues to set itself apart as a brand with a story to tell. 

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