Every Body is Beautiful: Body Positivity in Marketing

Are you in the fitness biz? Or are you in charge of marketing for a company that sells clothes? 

Whatever your industry, if you’re presenting human bodies in your marketing campaigns, it’s time to talk about body positivity. Heard of it? We bet you have! 

In recent years, the body positivity movement has taken off. People have fought against the airbrushed images and the constant stream of ‘perfect’ bodies pumped through media, tired of the unrealistic beauty standards promoted at every turn.  

It can be tempting to brush body positivity off as a ‘trend’ or meaningless buzzword, but actually, there’s real value in building inclusive practices such as body positivity into your marketing. 

People don’t want Eurocentric beauty ideals imposed on them anymore. They want authentic representation. Marketers need to take note to create campaigns that resonate with their audience. 

By exhibiting one type of body (usually white, thin and non-disabled), brands miss out on an opportunity to connect with a larger audience – an audience that wants to accept and celebrate their own bodies, without being ‘sold’ another. This audience is barely marketed to, meaning there’s an opportunity to create positive change while ramping up interest in your brand. 

Imagine, for a moment, running a lingerie company that only runs ads featuring thin, white and non-disabled women. Why would women of colour, disabled women or women of different sizes respond positively to your ad? Why would they favour your brand when your communications don’t include or consider  them? 

You could be sending an unintentional message. And that is: their bodies aren’t ‘good enough’ to star in your campaigns? Let’s change that. 

We’ve only got to look at the lingerie company, Aerie, to see the benefits of being more inclusive. In 2014, Aerie announced they would use diverse models and put an end to any airbrushing (and they’ve done it!).

The response

In a study, 35 women were shown six advertisements from Aerie and were asked about how these ads make them feel. 

Most women felt happier about their own bodies and said the models were relatable. They even said they’d be more likely to support the company. 

Getting body positivity right 

Women in the Aerie study also expressed scepticism around the motives for becoming body positive. Are they truly wanting to commit to change? Or are they demonstrating inclusivity for profit alone?  

As Kyla Brathwaite, author of the study said: “If companies are going to use body positive imagery, it’s a balancing act between trying to seem authentic – and hopefully be authentic – with what they’re trying to push.’ 

How can you appear more authentic? Don’t just demonstrate body positivity when it’s time to buy. Be inclusive in other areas of marketing and infuse inclusive practices into your company culture.  

Here are some tips on creating a body positive campaign: 

1.   Make sure your product can be used by whoever you’re including in your campaign

Don’t, for example, show plus-size women if you don’t sell clothes for plus-size women! 

2.   Remember to think beyond race and size. 

For example, Gen X women don’t feel included in body positivity campaigns, trans men and women are rarely used in advertisements and despite there being 14 million people with disabilities in the UK, they face a surprising lack of representation. 

‘Diversity’ encompasses a lot of groups which gives you room to be creative. 

3.   Make the change without making an announcement

If you’re looking for praise or if you’re shouting out loud about your inclusive practices, people will question your reasons for being inclusive. Let the changes you make speak for themselves. 

Want to capture the attention of your diverse audience? Show them bodies like theirs and celebrate them!