4 Ad Campaigns that Defy Beauty Conventions

Like it or not, the images we see in advertisements shape the way we form ideals. What we look like, how we should live, and what we should buy. Usually, we’re presented with a very narrow range of images, but many companies are expanding the types of people–particularly women–that they display in their advertisements. Though young, white, stick-thin models still dominate the billboards, some companies are exploring other options that fall outside the boundaries of traditional notions of beauty. Here are some of our favorites:

1. Nordstrom

While most companies use non-traditional models in part to gain publicity, Nordstrom has been quietly using models with (perceived) disabilities in ads since the late ’90s. The fact that they treat these models the same as any other is important step towards achieving a society that regards people with different physical appearances the same as they would anybody else.

2. Dove

 

Who decides how beautiful you feel? YOU DO. Read our #ChooseBeautiful Manifesto by Belissa Escobedo, Rhiannon McGavin, and Zariya Allen of @GetLitPoet. Take a picture of yourself, cut it out, and paste it next to the definition of beautiful. Because there is more than one-way to say it. Your skin is dark like graphite, shining under hot tropical suns Hers is freckled like gold in turquoise. We don’t look for similarities. Her skin is pale like opal. We unite over differences. We are not pretty flowers. And close up in the dark We don’t wilt when the sun goes down. We do not wait to be plucked. We do not need to be watered. We write our own dictionaries. You have never been “just you”, do yourself justice. Our reflections defining our own meaning So harness the solar in your step; Of beautiful. Find three nice facts to tell yourself before breakfast. We are beautiful because we choose to be. Celebrate skinned knees, and how you pick yourself back up every time- Work towards a world where every hurt can be fixed with a glitter bandaid. Thank goodness for helmets, and braids, and head scarfs, Give yourself laugh lines deep enough to bury all of your sorrows. And collect the ways to love yourself like pebbles from a melted spring. Let them weigh down your pockets when you walk home, Smile wide and often. Arrange them on your bookshelf, Rub them smooth when you’re worried. We create our own definition of beauty. So go on and choose beautiful. Imagine, dream up, and invent. And remember your own version of beautiful.

A photo posted by dove (@dove) on

Apr 23, 2015 at 1:10pm PDT

The Campaign for Real Beauty was one of the largest and earliest expressions of inclusion put out by a major brand. Started all the way back in 2004, the campaign aims to challenge the idea that only some bodies are beautiful. In 2005, Dove featured “normal” women in its ads.

3. Kate Spade

 

in new york city, even the most simple activities—like people-watching from a park bench on a sunny afternoon—can be the most delightful ones.

A video posted by kate spade new york (@katespadeny) on

Mar 3, 2015 at 6:41am PST

By their mid-late twenties, most models are considered over the hill. Fashion is traditionally something for young people, and what’s “fashionable” is defined by what the young people are wearing. Kate Spade decided to shake things up earlier this year, and ran ads featuring supermodel Karlie Kloss alongside 93-year-old Iris Apfel (who looked fabulous, by the way.) They aren’t the only ones—many retailers are featuring older generations in their ads, proving that fashion is for all ages.

4. Debenhams

We’ll never forget the campaign that British high-street brand Debenhams released in 2013 that featured models of all ages, genders, races and physical appearances. The brand isn’t a stranger to being inclusive—they were one of the first stores in Britain to use plus-size mannequins in its stores. What we love most about this campaign is that it doesn’t glamorize or hide the models’ differences in any way—instead, they celebrate them in an absolutely beautiful way.

Fashion-lovers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and levels of physical ability, and we all deserve to feel represented by the advertisements that surround us. There’s a lot of work to be done, but things seem to be headed in the right direction.

• beauty
• fashion
• Nordstrom
• standards