In today’s digital age, social media has become an integral part of young people’s lives, especially teenage girls. Unfortunately, it has also given rise to harmful beauty trends, hacks, and products that are increasingly linked to depression and teen suicide. Shockingly, two out of three girls spend more time on social media than they do with their friends. This article sheds light on a groundbreaking campaign by Dove’s Self-Esteem Project, which aims to address the issue of toxic beauty advice and empower parents to protect their daughters online.

The Prevalence of Harmful Beauty Trends on Social Media
Social media platforms have become a breeding ground for influencers promoting beauty trends that can be detrimental to young girls’ self-esteem and mental health. The pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards often leads to a negative impact on their self-image and overall well-being.

The Disparity in Content Exposure on Social Media Platforms
One alarming aspect of the issue is the disparity in content exposure on social media platforms between parents and their daughters. Algorithms tailor content to individual users, showing them personalized feeds based on their previous interactions. As a result, parents may not be aware of the toxic advice their daughters are exposed to online.

The Innovative Solution: Using Deepfake Technology
To tackle this problem, Dove’s Self-Esteem Project collaborated with Ogilvy and adopted a creative and impactful approach. They utilized deepfake technology to put the words of toxic influencers directly into the mouths of the one person teenage girls trust the most: their mothers. This campaign aimed to create awareness among parents about the harmful content their daughters might encounter daily.

The Implementation and Impact of the Campaign
The agency meticulously tracked 50 toxic trends in real-time across various social media platforms. Based on the most popular phrases of hundreds of toxic influencers, they developed fake transcripts. These transcripts were then “spoken” by deepfake versions of the girls’ mothers, bringing the issue to light in an eye-opening and shareable film.

The campaign’s global rollout across 18 markets was met with resounding success. It garnered an astounding 115.5 million organic views and an impressive 3.1 billion impressions. The impactful campaign ignited millions of conversations between parents and their daughters, fostering awareness and promoting healthier online habits.

Conclusion
The prevalence of harmful beauty trends on social media is a pressing issue that affects young girls worldwide. Dove’s Self-Esteem Project, in collaboration with Ogilvy, has taken a revolutionary step to address this problem head-on. By using deepfake technology to raise awareness among parents, the campaign has successfully sparked conversations about the importance of protecting our daughters from toxic online influences.

As responsible individuals, parents, and digital citizens, we must collectively work towards creating a safer and more positive online environment for young minds. Let us continue to support initiatives like Dove’s Self-Esteem Project, which not only highlights the problem but also encourages dialogue and empowers parents to play a proactive role in safeguarding their daughters’ mental well-being. Together, we can foster a healthier and happier digital world for the next generation.

Credits
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy UK
Brand: Dove
Campaign: Toxic Influence
#SocialMedia #ToxicBeauty #DeepfakeCampaign

Awards: Cannes Lions Gold
Tags: Unmasking Toxic Beauty, social media, harmful beauty trends, Deepfake campaign, toxic influence, Dove’s Self-Esteem Project, teen suicide, depression, personalized feeds, online habits, positive self-image, digital well-being, global impact, conversations, revolutionary approach, safer online environment, mental well-being

43% of UK secondary or high school children have been exposed to online abuse and one in four have suffered repeated incidents. But no one is talking about it. It is a common form of bullying for this age group, especially among young women, and can lead to depression, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, self-harming, social isolation and, in the worst cases, suicide. Brief was to shine a light on some of these issues, raising awareness for Cybersmile, and the support that they offer.

“We wanted to unearth and expose the pain caused by cyberbullying in an environment where it naturally breeds. What better place to do this than the Instagram platform? By working with Chessie King, a body-positive influencer, we wanted to create a movement that sparked conversation, outrage, and a united rallying cry. We tried to hold up a mirror to trolling; while the trolling was ugly, the response was beautiful. We turned the negative into a positive, creating a groundswell of support.

Cyberbullying charity The Cybersmile Foundation put internet trolling in the spotlight in a ground-breaking way. Over 24 hours, we manipulated influencer Chessie King’s appearance in response to real negative comments in a live Instagram story. She became uglier in response to each comment, culminating in a shockingly distorted final image. Ultimately, we showed the internet that ‘Trolling is ugly.’

The campaign started with a post on Chessie’s Instagram about body confidence. The post got over 150,000 views in the first 12 hours. We then co-created content with Chessie throughout the following day, in response to genuine negative comments from online trolls. This content was posted as a series of photos and videos to Chessie’s Instagram Story. With each post, Chessie became more and more distorted, eventually appearing in an unhuman-like form: an amalgamation of the Insta-hater’s comments. On 12th April, it was revealed that Chessie’s alien-like transformation was, in fact, a collaboration between The Cybersmile Foundation and us, with people being directed to their website for help and advice. News of our campaign spread like wildfire, hitting the headlines online and offline in a matter of hours. Through hashtag strategy and management, this combined voice is now in every social channel surrounding the Cybersmile platform. And it’s still growing.”

Cybersmile and Chessie King Body Positivity Campaign

Credits
Advertising Agency: Adam&EveDDB, UK
Production Company: FreeFolk
Post Production Company: cain&abel
Design Company: King Henry
Group Chief Creative Officer: Ben
Chief Creative Officer: Richard Brim
Creative Directors: Rasmus Smith Bech, Jonas Roth
Creative Teams: Lily Scarlett Hurst, William Blackburn
Agency producer: Suzy MacGregor
Planner: Martin Beverley
Managing Partner: Miranda Hipwell
Account Director: Olivia Chittenden
Account Manager: Rosie Snowball
PR Manager: Hope Abel
Post Production: Charles Gillet

Tags:
Digital, United Kingdom, Public Interest, NGO, Cybersmile, DDB, Awareness Campaign, Cyberbullying, The Cybersmile Foundation