Celebrating 20 years of real beauty: Dove tackles AI and unrealistic standards

AUCKLAND, Today: 20 years ago, Dove launched its Campaign for Real Beauty, revealing only 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. Since then, the campaign has challenged societal and media beauty standards.

To mark 20 years of Real Beauty, Dove’s new campaign, the Code, highlights AI’s impact on beauty and the positive changes real beauty has fostered.

Dove conducted a global beauty study to understand its impact on women and girls today. Despite some positive changes, the state of beauty in 2024 remains concerning.

The 2024 The Real State of Beauty: A Global Report shows over 1 in 5 Kiwi women would give up five years of their life for an ideal look. Beauty ideals have diversified, yet remain impossible to meet.

With 90% of online content predicted to be AI-generated by 2025, AI poses a significant threat to real beauty representation.

Dr. Phillippa Diedrichs says AI perpetuates unrealistic beauty standards. Over half of Kiwi women (61%) believe AI-created versions of themselves negatively impact self-view.

“Dove has always stood for real beauty, and our commitment to never using AI in our ads underscores our dedication to authenticity.”

“Despite 20 years of work to broaden definitions of beauty, women feel less confident in their own beauty than they did a decade ago. Representation is more important than ever.”

Dove pledges to accelerate efforts to champion transparency and diversity, committing to never using AI in its ads.

Dove has created Real Beauty Prompt Guidelines to set new digital standards for representing real beauty using AI.

Kiwi content creators Jess Quinn and Ellie Fitzgerald joined the 20th-anniversary Dove Real Beauty photo shoot in Sydney, comparing AI’s beauty standards with their real beauty.

A media and influencer event in Sydney launched the research. “Dove has always stood for real beauty, and our commitment to never using AI in our ads underscores our dedication to authenticity,” said Tess Giordimaina, Marketing Manager for Dove Australia & New Zealand.

“But the work that Dove began in 2004 is far from over. Dove will never stop championing better representation, taking action to break beauty stereotypes, and standing up for the power of Real Beauty. We can’t drive change alone. Together, let’s change beauty.”