In the past, brands were focused on selling perfect bodies and advertising perfect lives. However, there has been a major shift in how bodies are represented since the 90s when marketing trends focused on flawless bodies and unrealistic beauty standards.
Self-love has become mainstream. More inclusive marketing campaigns are in fashion.
The body positivity movement has much work ahead of it. Although the movement has made great strides in liberating often marginalized bodies and creating a standard of beauty, most people feel negative about their appearance. Three-quarters of Americans believe that the media still promotes an unattainable standard of beauty for women.
Terms like body acceptance, fat acceptance, body positivity, and body liberation are all part of the self-love revolution.
Take care of the skin you love
The body positivity movement is often associated with the rise of social media and its hashtags in the 2010s. The journey to self-love, body acceptance and self-love can be traced back to the 1960s when the movement was founded by and for historically marginalized bodies (fat bodies, Black bodies, and queer bodies, as well as disabled bodies). These bodies were historically rejected by Western society and sparked interest in #bodyliberation. However, the term #bodypositivity didn’t appear until nearly 50 years later.
Body positivity, like many movements, has changed over time. Body positivity, by its very definition, is about accepting and seeing your body as normal regardless of your shape, size, color, or gender. Body neutrality is an additional layer that encourages people to pay more attention to what their bodies do for them and how they feel about it.
Many content creators incorporate this message into their messages. While body positivity has brought in all kinds of marginalized people, some of its defenders feel that the original message has been lost as the movement becomes more commercialized.
While body positivity has brought in all kinds of marginalized people, some of its defenders feel that the original message has been lost as the movement becomes more commercialized.
Brands jump on the bandwagon
The commodification and politicization of body positivity by corporations and content creators have created a new standard in beauty and made it more accessible to many people who are not as fortunate. Dove is the most prominent brand when it comes to body positivity.
There Be Real Campaign features real women and real bodies. It has done incredible things to raise awareness of bodies often overlooked. It has been accused of creating its standards of beauty that are centered on women society considers “acceptably fat”. This includes beautiful women with smaller waists and hourglass shapes, as well as women who are all below 12 inches.
Of course, there have been exceptions. Zalando, Europe’s largest online fashion and lifestyle platform, features LGBTQ+, fat, and Black bodies in its spring campaign. This is a bold move by the brand to stand for empowerment and inclusion. These values are reflected in Zalando’s ads. The company also actively supports an inclusive corporate culture, with 130 employees.
Body positivity is changing and evolving. Brands need to be authentic in how they engage with the movement. To avoid being accused of modifying body liberation for profit,
This celebration of real people is what makes it possible to connect with diverse customers. To avoid being accused of altering body liberation for profit, brands must be authentic in how they engage with body positivity. Today’s customers can easily identify when a brand’s “love your body” message lacks authenticity.
There is no such thing as one-size-fits-all
The cause of body positivity is something to be proud of, and both federal governments and major social media outlets have taken up the banner for different bodies. These major players are aware that a poor body image can have negative effects on your well-being as well as your mental health. They have adopted the movement’s values to create laws and regulations that address these issues.
Norway’s legislators passed a law requiring content creators to disclose if they have altered or added a filter to photos after youth advocacy groups and the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs in Norway.
This law applies to advertisers but also celebrities, social media influencers, and users who are paid for posting on Facebook, Instagram Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, and Snapchat. Similar laws have been passed in other countries like the UK and France to protect citizens from unrealistic images and unrealistic expectations.
Body positivity can be a worthy cause. Federal governments and major social media platforms have begun to fly the flag for different bodies.
Pinterest, a major social media platform, has adopted body acceptance by introducing a new policy to prohibit all advertisements that use weight loss imagery and language. Pinterest is now the only major social media platform to ban all weight loss ads. This follows an expansion of its earlier policies, which prohibited body shame and claimed weight loss products.
The Power of Positivity + Authenticity
These policies, which have been adopted by major social media platforms such as Pinterest and Norway, are a sign of global change. These are the stances Gen Z (people born between 1995 and 2010) is ready to embrace.
This generation is more inclined to associate “body” with positivity and neutrality than with a supermodel wearing a bikini, like the older generation of Gen Xers (born between 1965-1980).
Instead of being performance-oriented, brands must learn how to reach this group (Gen Z currently represents 40% of all consumers). This is done through values such as inclusivity, diversity, and authentic body liberation.
Gen Z is a different generation. Brands need to change the way they represent themselves to appeal to this new generation.
Brands need to be authentic if they want to continue to empower people by showing all body types.
Gen Zers are smart consumers who value authenticity. Brands must be authentic if they want to continue to inspire by showing all body types. Fake body positivity and attempts to influence them will not work.
Brands that support and celebrate Gen Zers will earn their loyalty and be rewarded for it. Brands that do not support Gen Zers’ values will be left behind in a marketplace where consumers demand brands take a stand on important issues.
