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An old Dove campaign, titled ‘Stop The Beauty Test’, is making the rounds on social media, and for all the right reasons.
The Dove campaign was titled ‘Stop The Beauty Test’. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
In a world obsessed with filters, fairness creams and perfect figures, a mirror has once again been held up to society, and it is making everyone look a little closer. An old Dove campaign, titled ‘Stop The Beauty Test’, is making the rounds on social media, and for all the right reasons. Originally released two years ago as part of Dove’s push to challenge toxic beauty standards, the ad has resurfaced and led to renewed conversations around the unrealistic expectations placed on young girls, especially in India.
The campaign video dives into relatable, real-life scenarios where young girls are judged and ‘corrected’ to fit rigid definitions of beauty. One scene shows a 16-year-old girl with a dusky complexion being interrupted during her studies so her mother could apply a haldi-besan face pack to lighten her skin tone. Another shows a 12-year-old girl being told to “inhale” and “breathe in” at a tailor shop, forcing her to shrink herself, literally, for the sake of looking slimmer.
Next, a 17-year-old girl with naturally curly hair had it brushed straight by her grandmother. In another moment, a 13-year-old girl’s mother covers her acne with a fringe of hair before she heads to school. In yet another scene, a teacher removes a 13-year-old girl’s eyeglasses before a school performance, saying she will look “better” without them.
These moments sting because they are true. They mirror the small but persistent ways in which society imposes its version of beauty on young girls, often at the cost of their self-esteem.
The campaign ends with the girl putting her glasses back on. She smiles, not for approval, but in pride of being exactly who she is.
Take a look at the original ad:
The ad was recently reshared on Instagram, where it has already been viewed over 3.7 million times. The caption read, “The ad slapped the society hard.” “Beauty is within, not in the looks,” it said.
A user commented, “Even the relatives and people around should stop body shaming , they don’t know how to greet.”
Another wrote, “Glad my mother never did this to me.”
Someone shared, “I still remember my childhood days, how my uncle used to compare me with his daughter’s beauty. Now I am an independent woman and made my parents so proud with my achievements.”
“You are all so beautiful in every way,” a comment read.
A user wrote, “shove these beauty standards. Be you, be educated, be financially independent, enjoy life, smile and don’t take stress from anyone.”
A few days ago, Cadbury Dairy Milk dropped a beautiful ad as part of its “Kuch Accha Ho Jaaye, Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye” campaign. The ad opens with a group of women chatting in Hindi when a new neighbour from Chennai joins them. Realising the language barrier, one woman, Vimla, switches to broken English so her new neighbour doesn’t feel left out. “Sorry, my English… little, little,” she says. The Tamil-speaking woman, touched by the gesture, responds, “Little, little but very sweet.”
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
- First Published:
