Activewear brand Sweaty Betty encourages women to embrace their bodies and wear shorts confidently this summer.
The campaign ‘Wear the Damn Shorts’ was devised by a female majority team from creative agency Havas London. It is the brand’s first campaign focusing on female legs, aiming to break down taboos and celebrate imperfections.
This comes after research from the brand, which found 67% of women reported that their body negatively impacted their self-esteem, compared to 18% of women who believed their body image positively impacted their self-esteem.
Kerry Williams, chief marketing officer, Sweaty Betty said: “Wear the Damn Shorts is our rally cry to all women. It’s a powerful encouragement to embrace your legs as they power you through your active life. Every pair of legs tells a story and are unique in their make-up.
“Tan lines, dry skin, prominent veins, or a secret tattoo? We love to see it and we want you to feel proud to show it! Wear the Damn Shorts is the epitome of Sweaty Betty’s brand sentiment; #dontsweatit. It’s about confidence and embracing your body exactly as it is.”
The study showed that nearly 1 in 2 women have skipped a workout because they didn’t feel confident in their outfit choice and only 15% of Sweaty Betty customers wore shorts regularly. Reasons for not doing so included skin appearance, age perception, self-confidence and body image.
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The 30-second TV spot, directed by Nathalie Gordon and Amy Fasey, features close-ups of legs and thighs, focusing on features women feel self-conscious about, such as varicose veins, stretch marks, patchy fake tan, moles and cellulite.
Running alongside the spot is a series of out-of-home ads which also feature close-ups of legs with taglines such as “Getting your legs out has no age limit” and “These legs are made for flaunting”. The series will run across shopfronts, social, online and radio. In the UK, the campaign will be live throughout May. In Ireland out-of-home active will run for two weeks between 5-18 May.
Media strategy was managed by Havas Media UK and production by Hungry Man.
Amy Fasey, creative director, Havas London said: “It’s sad that as a woman in 2025, societal pressure and unrealistic beauty standards STILL apply to our every body part… even our legs. It’s no wonder the cycle of self-hatred is strong – ‘oh my legs are too hairy/flabby/blotchy/insert derogatory word here’, we’ve all felt it.”
“Working on this campaign, showing nothing but legs in all their glory, has made us realise just how un-alone we women are in those feelings. A huge thanks to the smart, kind and powerful women who took part in the campaign, from our cast to our crew and beyond – it’s been wonderful to spend time in this sisterhood.’’
