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Dove(R) and Hollywood Team Up to Give Girls a Reality Check About What Goes on Behind-the-Scenes GREENWICH, Conn., Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Girls today are fixating on their flaws, causing them to belittle themselves and even take destructive action. The onslaught of messages and images they constantly receive sets an unrealistic standard of beauty. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is partnering with the entertainment industry to address this issue by giving girls a reality check educating them about what images are real versus Hollywood magic. This global program is especially relevant as girls today are measuring themselves against impossible beauty ideals. The new campaign was developed to help girls realize what they see in movies and magazines represents an unrealistic standard of beauty, not an everyday achievable look. As part of its commitment to build self-esteem in girls, the Dove Self-Esteem Fund is sponsoring self-esteem building workshops with inspirational celebrities and new online tools in an effort to educate moms, mentors and girls. The program also features "Onslaught," an attention- grabbing viral film that dramatizes the barrage of images and messages girls constantly face. As with all Dove Campaigns, the impetus for the program is grounded in startling new research about the factors that influence girls' body image. Girls Fixate on Flaws, Self-Esteem Suffers According to a recent survey conducted by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund and Seventeen magazine, more than four in 10 girls and young women only see their flaws when they look in the mirror. This is not surprising considering more than half of girls and young women say they get ideas for the way they want their bodies to look from celebrities and media, and 56 percent of girls and young women believe celebrities tend to have perfect bodies. "Girls are increasingly looking to celebrities as their role models because they are widely celebrated in media and society," commented Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D., licensed psychologist and distinguished scholar for the Partnership for Women's Health at Columbia University. "Girls take away the message that these images represent a societal norm, and as a result punish themselves for not living up to impossible beauty ideals. The cycle continues to intensify as these perceived flawless images further inundate their world in overwhelming quantities." Images Surround Girls Girls are being besieged with all types of media in nearly every corner of their lives: * The average person sees between 400 and 600 advertisements per day(1) - equivalent to more than one message for every waking minute. * The average US girl has the opportunity to see an estimated 77,546 commercials by the time she is 12 years old.(2) This growing phenomenon is having a direct impact on girls' self-image and even causing some to engage in destructive behavior. The Dove Self-Esteem Fund/Seventeen Body Image Survey also revealed: * 93 percent of girls and young women report feeling anxiety or stress about some aspect of their looks when getting ready in the morning * This could explain why more than 70 percent of girls and young women avoid activities when they feel bad about their looks including giving their opinion, attending school and even going to the doctor.(3) * 76 percent of girls and young women admit to partaking in unhealthy activities when they feel badly about their bodies * 58 percent of girls describe themselves in negative terms, including words like "disgusting" and "ugly," when feeling badly about themselves. * Nearly four out of 10 engage in unhealthy eating behaviors, such as anorexia or bulimia. * More than one out of 10 girls has used cutting or self-inflicted injury as a coping mechanism. "Girls today are exposed to more messages from Hollywood and the media than past generations which can impact their self-esteem," said Jessica Weiner, self-esteem expert and global ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. "Mothers, mentors and friends can help change girls' perceptions with positive, self-esteem building discussions and activities." Hollywood Takes Action The Dove Self-Esteem Fund is partnering with Step Up Women's Network, a national non-profit membership organization dedicated to strengthening community resources for women and girls, to help girls recognize their own unique beauty. Together, they will conduct self-esteem building workshops giving girls a reality check to distinguish what is real versus Hollywood magic and hopefully inspiring girls to think about their beauty role models in a new way. During these events, celebrities and self-esteem experts reveal secrets about the armies of stylists, makeup artists, photographers, and staging and computer technicians behind-the-scenes who produce the big screen and cover shots. Jessica Weiner will lead each session and offer advice about interpreting the multitude of messages. Notable female celebrities are volunteering their time with the Dove Self-Esteem Fund to speak with girls and share their personal perspectives. "We all have a responsibility as marketers, educators, mentors and role models, to change the way we communicate with girls. The entertainment industry can be a powerful partner in educating girls," said Kathy O'Brien, marketing director for Dove. "We may not be able to decrease the number of messages girls receive, but we can educate girls about how they perceive them." The Dove Self-Esteem Fund set a new goal to reach 5 million girls globally by 2010 with self-esteem building programming. It has several online resources that educate girls about Hollywood and media imagery as well as foster the development of self-esteem. Moms, mentors and girls should visit campaignforrealbeauty.com to utilize new self-esteem building tools, view behind-the-scenes footage from the Dove Self-Esteem Fund/Step Up workshops, talk to experts and watch "Onslaught." Visitors will also soon have the opportunity to get an inside look at how real girls deal with self-esteem issues in their daily lives. About the Dove Self-Esteem Fund/Seventeen Body Image Survey StrategyOne, an applied-research consulting firm, conducted a nationally representative online survey among 1,014 girls and women ages 13-22 in the US to better understand the factors that impact their body image. The survey, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level, was conducted using the online field services of Harris Interactive. Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. (Harvard University) and Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D. (Cincinnati Psychotherapy Institute), Dove Self-Esteem Fund Advisors, provided expert guidance on the study. About Campaign for Real Beauty The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is a global effort that is intended to serve as a starting point for societal change and act as a catalyst for widening the definition and discussion of beauty. The campaign was created in 2004 after the brand commissioned a global study that found that only two percent of women around the world describe themselves as beautiful. Employing various communication vehicles - advertising, a Web site, billboards, events and a Self-Esteem Fund - the campaign invites women to join in the discussion about beauty and share their views of it with women around the world. Women's response to the campaign has been overwhelmingly positive; nearly 4 million visitors have joined the conversation at campaignforrealbeauty.com. About Dove The Dove mission is to make women feel more beautiful every day by challenging today's stereotypical view of beauty and inspiring women to take great care of themselves. Dove, manufactured by Unilever, is the No. 1 personal wash brand nationwide. One in every three households uses a Dove product, which includes beauty bars, body washes, face care, anti- perspirant/deodorants, hair care and styling aids. Dove is available nationwide in food, drug and mass outlet stores. About Unilever Unilever (NYSE:ULNYSE:UN), one of the world's largest consumer products companies, aims to add vitality to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products. The company has a portfolio of brands that make people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United States these brands include recognized names such as: Axe, "all," Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever in the United States employs approximately 13,000 people in more than 60 office and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico - generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2006. For more information, visit http://www.unileverusa.com/. About Step Up Women's Network Step Up Women's Network is a national nonprofit membership organization comprised of women who are dedicated to strengthening resources for women and girls. Through teen empowerment programs, professional mentorship, women's health activities and social networking opportunities, Step Up educates and activates its members to ensure that women and girls have the tools they need to create a better future. Step up offers various programs that aim to give girls the skills and confidence they need to succeed in their future. The organization's motto is "Invest, Involve and Inspire." Contact: Randi Liodice/Edelman 212-704-4462 Stacie Bright/Unilever 203-625-1130 (1) Dittrich, L. "About-Face facts on the MEDIA." http://www.about-face.org/r/facts/media.shtml. Accessed June 2005. (2) The Nielsen Company, September 2007 (3) Beyond Stereotypes: Rebuilding the Foundation of Beauty Beliefs, A Global Report, 2005 DATASOURCE: Dove CONTACT: Randi Liodice, Edelman, +1-212-704-4462, , or Stacie Bright, Unilever, +1-203-625-1130, , both for Dove Web site: http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/ http://www.unileverusa.com/

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