THE DOVE SELF-ESTEEM PROJECT CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION WITH BODY CONFIDENCE EDUCATION AND EXPANDS REACH TO KIDS AS YOUNG AS 4 WITH NEW BLIPPI PARTNERSHIP

Furthering the brand’s commitment to self-esteem education, Dove launches a new body confidence program for kids as young as 4 years old to support a future where younger generations can experience a healthy and positive relationship with the way they look.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — This year marks Dove’s 20-year history of building body confidence and self-esteem in kids through the Dove Self-Esteem Project. Over the last two decades, Dove has reached more than 114 million young people with evidence-based no-cost resources proven to increase body confidence for parents, educators, carers and youth.

This year, coinciding with International Day of the Girl on 10/11, the Dove Self-Esteem Project is extending its programming to support a younger audience, as research reveals body image concerns can start to manifest as early as 4-years-old, and with 1 in 4 girls aged 4-6 years disliking something about their appearance¹.

In partnership with popular live-action preschool brand, Blippi, the Dove Self-Esteem Project has released a new series of inclusive, interactive and educational content that fosters positive conversations around body confidence and self-esteem in children aged 4-6. Designed to inspire dynamic conversations that empower kids and encourage a positive self-image, the DSEP x Blippi content serves as valuable tools for building resilience and self-expression, allowing families to navigate these complex topics together.

Created in collaboration with body image experts at the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR), the Blippi episodes are available on Amazon and Blippi’s YouTube channel, with free resources also available to download online at Blippi.com/Dove.

These evidence-based resources are more important than ever, with low body confidence shown to be a growing issue amongst kids today. The Dove Real State of Beauty report reveals that more than 3 in 5 girls (63%) express they have not felt confident at school because they don’t feel good about the way they look. This pressure to look a certain way from a young age can lead to long-term anxiety and unrealistic beauty expectations.

By uniting with new partners and platforms, Dove is empowering the next generation to grow up enjoying a positive relationship with the way they look so they can reach their full potential.

“Since 2004 Dove has been committed to building body confidence and self-esteem for the next generation of young people. Now, with children as young as four starting to become aware of their appearance and how they feel about their body, we knew we needed to urgently intervene and extend our program to a younger audience to support a healthy and positive outlook on body image and protect the younger generation from experiencing low body confidence. We want a future where young people feel empowered to confidently challenge beauty standards, advocate for themselves, and feel connected to and celebrate their bodies,” says Marcela Melero, Chief Growth Officer, Dove.

“Partnering with Dove was a dream come true and we are proud to help support Dove. As children become aware of their appearance at an increasingly young age, it’s vital that we continue to offer positive, empowering messages that build self-confidence and a healthy body image. Together with Dove, we’re excited to create a world where kids feel empowered, confident, and ready to embrace who they are,” says Dan’l Hewitt, Vice President, Brand Partnerships, Moonbug Entertainment.

Coinciding with International Day of the Girl on October 11, 2024, Dove will host its largest Dove Day to-date, an annual event that encourages Unilever employees, Dove partners, customers, agencies and the wider Dove community to participate in body confidence workshops with young people in schools across North America. These combined efforts support the Dove Self-Esteem Project’s goal to reach 250M young lives by 2030.

To learn more and access free, evidence-based resources and tools, visit Dove.com/SelfEsteem.

Contact: [email protected]

About the 2024 The Real State of Beauty research: a global report
Online survey conducted by Edelman DXI (Data x Intelligence), a global, multidisciplinary research, analytics, and data consultancy, in November / December 2023. This 25-minute survey was completed in 20 countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, KSA, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Africa, Sweden, Türkiye, the USA, and the UK.

Researchers spoke with more than 33,000 respondents: 19,306 respondents aged between 18 to 64 years old (14,673 women, 3,776 men*) and 14,292 respondents aged 10 to 17 years old (9,475 girls, 4,753 boys*). 

15 experts ranging from academic experts to consultants on body image and activists in the field were consulted on the research questions and outputs, and we ensured the survey was representative of various subgroups e.g. people with larger bodies, disabilities, mental health conditions, LGBTQ+ people and people of colour.

*Note: Other gender identities and non-binary respondents were surveyed but are not reported due to the limited sample sizes.

About the Dove Self-Esteem Project 
Dove is the largest self-esteem education provider in the world, offering no-cost, academically validated tools to parents, teachers, mentors, and kids for nearly two decades with the Dove Self-Esteem Project. To date, Dove has reached more than 114 million young people globally across 153 countries with DSEP, with a goal of reaching 250M young lives by 2030.

About Dove
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 moisturising cream. Dove’s heritage is rooted in care – proof, not promises grew Dove from a Beauty Bar into one of the world’s most beloved beauty brands. 

Real women have always been our inspiration, and since the beginning, Dove has been wholly committed to providing superior care to all, and to championing real representations of beauty in our advertising, communications, and campaigns. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone, and the Dove mission is to ensure a positive experience with beauty is universally accessible to all.

For 67 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. This includes the ‘Dove Real Beauty Pledge,’ and commitment to:

1. Portray women as they are in real life with honesty, diversity, and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair colour, type, and style. 
2. Represent individuals with zero digital distortion, with all images approved by the women they feature.
3. 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 with a goal to educate 250 million young people by 2030.

About Blippi: 
Blippi, the world’s most popular live-action preschool brand, turns the world into a playground for preschoolers everywhere. The brand encourages a lifelong love of learning which helps to instill confidence and curiosity at a young age. Blippi has become a worldwide sensation with more than one billion monthly views across platforms including HBO Max, Cartoonito, Sky, Amazon and YouTube and millions of fans around the world. The franchise has expanded rapidly since it was acquired by Moonbug Entertainment in 2020. Blippi is available in more than 20 languages, including ASL, and is distributed by more than 30 global broadcast and streaming partners. Blippi’s buddies Meekah and Juca have spun off into their own shows and Blippi lives off the screen with sold-out live events, popular music tracks, and in-demand toys available at all major retailers.

¹ Centre for Appearance Research in partnership with Dove, ‘The Body Image and Self-Esteem in early childhood’ report, June 2023. Prepared by Harriet Smith & Dr.Nadia Craddock.

SOURCE Dove