Dove ‘Cost of Beauty’ ad breaks in the UK to explore impact of social media on mental health

Dove has released a new three-minute film titled the ‘Cost of Beauty’ in a bid to highlight the negative effects of social media on mental health.

Developed in association with Ogilvy, the film tells the true story of Mary, a young woman who developed an eating disorder as a result of toxic beauty content being displayed on social media.

Set to ‘You Are So Beautiful performed by singer-songwriter Self Esteem, the spot follows Mary as she comes of age and offers a glimpse into the lives of young people growing up with social media today. From overcoming depression to body dysmorphia, the film holds no punches when displaying the toll toxic beauty content has on well-being.

“The constant exposure to toxic beauty content online is having a heartbreaking impact on the mental and physical well-being of kids and teens,” Ogilvy global executive creative director, Daniel Fisher, said. “We are deeply indebted to Mary and the other voices in the film for allowing us to tell their stories because it’s critical that we come together as a society to create a safer, healthier online environment for younger generations. This is timely, important work, and as the father of two young girls myself, I pray that it will help spark the actions our society needs to be taking.”

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The ad comes as part of Dove’s ‘Self-Esteem Project’ which looks to address the current rise in youth mental health issues linked to social media.

According to new research 9 in 10 kids are exposed to toxic beauty content on social media, with a resulting 1 in 2 kids subsequently having their mental health impacted.

To provide and fund access to mental health resources for young people and to make social media safer for kids, the beauty brand is collaborating with NGO partners Maudsley Charity, Parenting Mental Health, Global Action Plan, 5Rights, and Girlguiding. Dove has pledged to support these organisations that are working to improve young people’s mental health.

Dove chief marketing officer Alessandro Manfredi added: “Dove has a long-term commitment to bring about positive change in beauty and taking action towards making social media a more positive place with campaigns like, #NoDigitalDistortion, Reverse Selfie/Selfie Talk, and #DetoxYourFeed. While certain aspects of social media can promote creativity and connection for young people, data has shown toxic beauty content online is harming our kids’ mental health. If there isn’t real change, young people will continue to pay with their wellbeing.

“We have a responsibility to act and support a more positive environment on social media, helping protect young people’s mental health. This means going beyond individual interventions to drive systemic change”.