Oftentimes, when we think about kids’ toys, the first thing that comes to our mind is dolls. The most famous ones are Ken and Barbie and, sure, we can all agree that they are nice toys to play with. Sadly, they have the power to influence our children’s self-esteem and self-acceptance. Just Google “spending money to look like a doll” and you’ll be horrified by the results. Teens are spending a lot of money on their appearance, just to look like Barbie or Ken. And the worst is that not only the dolls distort our little one’s own image. Social media and its many beauty filters are responsible too.
Media has the power to influence a kid’s self-image, by adding the pressure to look in a certain way. Finnish young people’s media Demi wants to cut this evil right from the root, so it hired TBWA\Helsinki creative agency to help it convince kids and teenagers that they are just fine the way they are. They don’t need to meet the beauty standards media strategically implements in our minds.
“As young people’s media, we are very aware of the media’s influence in shaping what is considered to be beautiful. That’s why we represent real people instead of models in our media outlets. Not to mention, that there are so many other important topics besides beauty to talk about”, says the Editor-in-Chief of Demi, Päivi Lehtomurto.
To help both youngsters and their parents reshape the image of their own body, the magazine launched a powerful campaign in which two kids are depicted looking in the mirror. The images show a boy and a girl staring in the mirror and noticing things they normally shouldn’t: marks for cosmetic surgery. Because of the so-called ‘Snapchat dysmorphia,’ even Instagram has announced the removal of all selfie filters imitating the results of cosmetic surgeries, says the agency in a press release.
“Traditionally images like these are shot in a controlled studio environment and the photos edited in post-processing to look plastic-like. The viewer recognizes it easily as advertising – something that is not necessarily true. That’s why we tried to create realistic, yet dramatic, real-life looking photography for the viewer to identify better with the people in the images”, explains the Creative Director of TBWA\Helsinki, Erno Reinikainen.
The photoshoot was done together with Tuukka Koski from Koski Syväri Agency. Kasimir Häiväoja from FLC Helsinki carried out the post-processing. Also, the campaign is available in print, online, and OOH advertising spaces and can be admired throughout the first part of the year.
Will you let your kid be told what is right and what is wrong in terms of beauty?
Credits:
Client: Demi
Agency: TBWA\Helsinki