Dove Launches #UnseenBeauty Social Campaign, Empowering Millennial Women to Reclaim the Narrative Around Unrealistic Y2K Beauty Standards, With Professional Hockey Player Sarah Nurse Leading the Conversation
Research from Dove reveals Millennial women report the lowest body confidence of any generation, with 9 in 10 citing body shape ideals from the early 2000s as a lasting influence
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TORONTO — To mark the 25th anniversary of Y2K, Dove is launching its #UnseenBeauty social campaign, inviting Millennial women to unlearn the toxic beauty standards perpetuated by the culture of the early 2000s. The campaign encourages women to share a photo from girlhood—one that, in many cases, has never been seen before. These images are sometimes hard to look at, and even harder to share due to the lasting impact of harmful language and impossible beauty standards that shaped this generation's self-esteem. By empowering women to embrace and share their #UnseenBeauty moments, Dove strives to help women see their real beauty. A new study from Dove, The Weight of Words, reveals that 3 in 4 Millennial women in Canada say harmful beauty messages from the early 2000s still shape how they feel about their bodies today. Among the most recalled terms by Canadian women are 'bikini body' (71%), 'love handles' (66%), 'muffin top' (62%), 'size zero' (58%) and 'thunder thighs' (56%). Three in four Canadian women (74%) say the media from that time continues to shape how they feel about themselves today, and one in two believe this influence will always be a part of how they feel about their bodies.
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'As the generation with the lowest self-esteem, it's clear Millennial women are still recovering from decades of unrealistic beauty expectations around how their bodies should look,' said Divya Singh, Head of Unilever Personal Care, Canada. 'At Dove, we believe that there is no one version of beauty. #UnseenBeauty invites women to be seen and celebrate their beauty, and is part of our overall mission to make a positive relationship with beauty accessible to all.'
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To help change the narrative, Dove is collaborating with Olympic gold medalist, World Champion and professional hockey player Sarah Nurse, who is among the first to share her own #UnseenBeauty photo and story. Growing up, Nurse felt self-conscious of her athletic, muscular legs—or what she saw as 'Thunder Thighs'—simply because her body didn't look like the girls in magazines or on TV. She will be joined by a collective of Millennial creators from across Canada, each offering their own personal reflections and images shaped by the media pressures of Y2K.
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'I partnered with Dove to help challenge Y2K standards of beauty so we can start seeing ourselves differently,' said Sarah Nurse. 'There are so many parts of us we used to hide that we deserve to celebrate! I hope Canadians join me in sharing their #UnseenBeauty photos, so we can write a more body positive future for the next generation.'
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As part of Dove's ongoing mission to support women's self-esteem, the brand recently introduced its first-ever body confidence tools for women through the Dove Self-Esteem Project. Resources include a Confidence Journal; The Real Beauty Talks video series and workbook; and Why2k? Podcast episodes and journals, designed to help women unlearn harmful messages and build self-worth. To learn more and access these tools, visit: www.dove.com/ca/en/dove-self-esteem-project/women.html.
Join Dove in changing the conversation around the unrealistic beauty standards and harmful language that shaped a generation. Share your #UnseenBeauty photo and Y2K beauty story to reclaim the narrative, because words from the past shouldn't define who we are today.
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About Dove
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Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove heritage is based on moisturization, and it is proof not promises that enabled Dove to grow from a Beauty Bar into one of the world's most beloved beauty brands.
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Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty.
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For more than 65 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. With the 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge,' Dove vows to:
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Portray women with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type, and style.
Portray women as they are in real life, with zero digital distortion and all images approved by the women they feature.
Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world.
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About Unilever in North America
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Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 128,000 employees and generated sales of €60.8 billion in 2024.
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Our leading brands in North America include Dove, Hellmann's, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, TRESemmé, Knorr, Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., Paula's Choice, and Dermalogica.
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For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca About Unilever in Canada
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 128,000 employees and generated sales of €60.8 billion in 2024.
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Our leading brands in Canada include Dove, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, SheaMoisture, TRESemmé, Knorr, Hellmann's, Breyers, Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Liquid I.V., and OLLY.
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Contacts
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Media Contacts:
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Jeene Sulaivany (
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Jeene.Sulaivany@edelman.com)
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