British childcare retailer Mothercare has launched an ad-spot focused on female body positivity. The Body Proud campaign celebrates mothers and their unfiltered post-birth bodies. People want brands and advertisers to provide truthful and inclusive representation.We explore the insights behind this and how brands can communicate positive and authentic messages.
Created by Mcgarrybowen, the advert was runner-up in the Transport for London (TfL) Women We See competition, which encouraged advertisers to provide positive and inclusive messages in their work and move away from gender stereotypes. Comprising 10 portraits of ‘real’ mums and their post-birth bodies, the images will run across TfL’s network and social media. The campaign aims to help mothers feel positive about their bodies and push back against unrealistic body ideals and societal pressures usually peddled by celebrities on magazine covers. “The images depict the raw and incredibly emotional experience of childbirth” stated campaign photographer Sophie Mayanne, who in 2017 said she would never digitally manipulate skin in her work. “The aim is for mums of all shapes and sizes to be able to identify with these photos in one way or another,” she said.
As societal pressure surrounding accurate representation in media and adverts ramps up, brands are looking to sate consumer appetites with a wave of unfiltered campaigns. Mothercare's advert comes at a welcome time, with 65% of Britons saying they feel more favourable towards a brand that reflects diversity in advertising, while 77% of British women agree that the way women are portrayed in advertising is stereotypical. From Dove to ASOS and River Island, brands are moving away from traditional advertising models in an effort to provide fair representation for every facet of society.
Megan Carnegie is the Library Editor at Canvas8, which specialises in behavioural insights and consumer research.
