Body positive ad campaigns

October 11, 2007 8:53 PM

Help me find body-positive advertising campaigns!

I teach media literacy to 9th graders, and I'm looking for examples of corporations using "real people" in their ads. Examples I've found so far include Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, and Kellogg's Special K campaign.

I don't think there's a lot out there. Am I missing something in your area?

posted by squirrel to Media & Arts (24 answers total)

Sonic?
posted by null terminated at 8:57 PM on October 11, 2007

Howard Brown looks very average & was a normal bank employee before his adverts.

Though he's not advertising anything in the healthy/beauty range.
posted by selton at 9:03 PM on October 11, 2007

The Body Shop had a real person campaign but years and years ago...
posted by typewriter at 9:21 PM on October 11, 2007

What about United Colors of Benneton?
posted by radioamy at 9:27 PM on October 11, 2007

Kashi and Post cereal use their employees in their ads.
posted by spec80 at 9:43 PM on October 11, 2007

Hane's and Lane Bryant
posted by chara at 9:44 PM on October 11, 2007

"real people"ads are usually constructed to be body-image neutral, aren't they? I think the notion of body-positivity is pretty much a marketing concept in and of itself. Contenment doesn't sell yogurt, now does it?

That said, Weight Watchers and some other fitness related ads are pretty "You can do anything, and you're beautiful" in message.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 9:58 PM on October 11, 2007

Keep in mind: Dove belongs to Unilever, which also makes Axe.
posted by casarkos at 10:31 PM on October 11, 2007

Nike Women has done numerous campaigns like this. Here is one from the recent past.
posted by hindmost at 12:21 AM on October 12, 2007

Extremely not mainstream, but definitely real looking people.

Threadless isn't real ad-y but they use regular people.

I used to think Old Navy models were more normal looking but they seem to have forsaken that for real models lately.

There're a lot of poofs of (cute) belly in American Apparel ads. And they aren't lit and photoshopped into total flatness. I've seen skin discolorations, stretch marks, the occasional double chin. And kind of ethnically diverse too.
posted by birdie birdington at 12:32 AM on October 12, 2007

walmart ads sometimes use awkward employees.
posted by twistofrhyme at 1:01 AM on October 12, 2007

I think their clothes and catalogues are dreadful, but an Australian company called Rivers uses employees as models.
posted by bunglin jones at 1:17 AM on October 12, 2007

Here is the Body Shop "barbie doll." Body Shop founder Anita Roddick just died last month and was lamented by tons of feminists thanks to her marketing philosophy.
posted by Brittanie at 1:22 AM on October 12, 2007

EHarmony.com, Jared from Subway, Weight Watchers.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 2:22 AM on October 12, 2007

I think Walmart, in their sale papers, use people that actually work for the company to model their clothing.
posted by bluefly at 4:59 AM on October 12, 2007

What about people with disabilities, not just non-stick-figure models? It's not as common, but I've definitely seen kids and adults with various disabilities in ads for, say, Kohl's.
posted by Madamina at 5:12 AM on October 12, 2007

Also Unilever, their Slim-fast work (oddly enough) is body-positive ("We believe in hips, not hip-bones").
posted by jshelus at 7:07 AM on October 12, 2007

Keep in mind that most of the companies mentioned are still telling you that your body needs changing -- weight loss, cosmetics, muscle gain. While it's nice that they're slooooowly starting to expand the range of body types used in advertising, I'm not sure how "body positive," at least in the way that I would use that phrase, the results really are.
posted by occhiblu at 7:45 AM on October 12, 2007

For example and further reflection.
posted by occhiblu at 7:49 AM on October 12, 2007

I agree with occhiblu. In fact, so does Jezebel:

"...While Dove can be applauded for examining the damaging effects of the beauty industry, its parent company, Unilever, is a major manufacturer of skin-lightening creams marketed in India. (Because, you know, the lighter your skin, the more beautiful you are.)"

posted by Brittanie at 7:50 AM on October 12, 2007

I believe that L.L. Bean uses local, "regular" people as models.
posted by bassjump at 11:24 AM on October 12, 2007

Title Nine (women's athletics) uses "real women" (not even fitness models) in its catalogs.
posted by unknowncommand at 11:35 AM on October 12, 2007

Crystal Light had some pretty body-positive television ads recently, if I recall correctly.
posted by justonegirl at 12:35 PM on October 12, 2007

Response by poster: Wow! So much great stuff! Thanks to everyone who posted their great ideas, and my kids thank you as well.
posted by squirrel at 6:18 PM on October 12, 2007