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 body relationship

TORONTO, Dec. 19, 2024 /CNW/ – This year marks Dove’s 20-year history of building body confidence and self-esteem in kids through the Dove Self-Esteem Project. Self-esteem and body confidence are important for a child’s development, helping kids do better at school, at home, and with friends. However, recent research by Dove has shown low body confidence is a growing issue with kids today.

Body image concerns start to manifest as early as 4-years-old, with 1 in 4 girls aged 4-6 years disliking something about their appearance[1] and 1 in 3 girls aged 6 years say they want to look thinner.[2]

In Dove’s latest research study, The Real State of Beauty: A Global Report, Dove surveyed kids aged 10–17 across 20 countries and found body confidence in kids is being impacted when it comes to their experiences at school, with more than 3 in 5 girls (63%) saying they have not felt confident at school because they don’t feel good about the way they look.

Now, the Dove Self-Esteem Project extends its program to a younger audience of 4+, in partnership with the popular live-action preschool brand, Blippi, because Dove believes that starting this education at a younger age will help to minimize self-esteem and body confidence issues, now and in the future. The Dove Self-Esteem Project in partnership with Blippi provides inclusive, upbeat content for kids to protect body confidence in kids as early as four years old and help empower caregivers to have conversations around this complex topic. 

The pressure to look a certain way from a young age can lead to long-term anxiety and unrealistic beauty expectations. Almost half of young girls expect to worry more about their appearance as they get older. Over the past two decades, the Dove Self-Esteem Project has reached over 114 million young people in 153 countries with self-esteem and body confidence education.

“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.

To mark 20 years of the Dove Self-Esteem Project, Dove has united with expert partners to reach new audiences where body confidence is at threat, and raise awareness of the current state of young peoples’ self-esteem.

The Dove Self-Esteem Project and Blippi, in collaboration with body image experts at the Centre for Appearance Research, have developed engaging content proven to protect body appreciation in kids as young as 4 years old. Blippi launches first of its kind content focused on body confidence for young kids on Amazon and other streaming services, with additional episodes and exclusive music videos on Blippi’s YouTube channel, in English and French.In celebration of International Day of the Girl, Dove reached more than 12,000 students through in-person workshops and the first-ever Canada-wide virtual Dove Day event, designed to help students in grades 6-8 build the body confidence and self-esteem they need to reach their full potential.

To learn more, visit Dove.ca/selfesteem to download free, evidence-based resources and tools.

It’s never too early to start teaching kids about body confidence and self-esteem to help them grow into body confident adults. Dove is committed to ensuring the next generation grows up enjoying a positive relationship with the way they look to reach their full potential.

About the new research: 2024 The Real State of Beauty: 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.

All interviews were conducted in local languages and dialects, with only appropriate questions asked in each market and the methodology was consistent with the level of national online penetration required to avoid sampling bias.

*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

As the world’s leading provider of self-esteem education for girls, Dove continues to support girls wherever their self-esteem is at stake and ensure the next generation grows up enjoying a positive relationship with how they look. Since 2004, Dove has reached over 100 million young people globally, in over 150 countries through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, 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 moisturizing cream. Dove’s 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. 

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’s mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty. 

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:

Portray women with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair colour, 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.

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 Netflix, 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.

SOURCE Dove