Personal care giant Dove has kicked off #NewYearsUnresolution, a campaign that urges women to “let go of the pursuit of perfect”.
It invites participants to write down an unrealistic beauty standard they have felt pressure to conform to, then take the first step towards letting it go by tearing up their note.
They are also encouraged to commit to what they will embrace about their bodies in 2025, sharing the pledge with their TikTok communities.
The push is to raise awareness of its 20-year-old Dove Self-Esteem Project for Women, which aims to help women reject harmful beauty ideals. It had so far reached more than 114 million young people globally, said the Unilever brand, which was also “dedicated to ensuring that women of all generations are equipped with the resources and tools they need to build lasting body confidence and self-esteem”.
Activity includes a 90-second film via YouTube and content from 12 influencers including Meagan Wells, Georgie Swallow and Naomi Native – some of which was shown on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day on the Outernet London building in the capital’s West End.
#NewYearsUnresolution was inspired by Dove’s ‘The Real State of Beauty Report’ from 2024. The global study found millennial women had the lowest body confidence compared to previous generations and were over-indexing on health conditions linked to body image. It also showed that one in two women’s new year resolutions were related to dissatisfaction with their bodies, frequently focusing on weight loss, improving appearance and looking more youthful.
“For 20 years, Dove has equipped young people with resources to improve their self-esteem and body confidence, and now we’re expanding our focus to women, many who have grown up under the weight of unrealistic beauty standards reinforced by social media,” said Emily Galazka, Dove UK masterbrand marketing manager.
“As we enter a new year, we wholeheartedly encourage women to make resolutions that focus on their own happiness and joy, rather than these negative standards,” she added. The brand’s aim was to “support women in rejecting unattainable ideals, embrace authenticity, and redefine beauty on their own terms”.
Phillippa Diedrichs, a body image expert at the Centre of Appearance Research at the University of West England, said: “Many women set new year resolutions to change their bodies, but they are often unfulfilling goals driven by society’s narrow beauty standards. They shift our attention from what truly matters. Dove has been a trailblazer in redefining real beauty, and this new content series is a powerful invitation for millennial women to break this cycle and redefine their relationship with their bodies.”
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