The thin female beauty ideal is often seen as unfeasible, but skinny models still appear in almost every ad we see. Some protests have not gone by unnoticed, like the ban on overly thin models in Madrid’s fashion week of 2006 and the Dove Campaign for real beauty. However, according to a study of Radboud University, some women are more vulnerable to the negative impact of skinny models than others. What’s more, not every woman prefers to see fuller and more realistic models in advertisements.
The Radboud Univers
ity shows that four characteristics play a major role in the preference for fuller models. Firstly, women with a higher Body Mass Index prefer plus-size models, because they can more easily identify with them. Secondly, young girls are more influenced by the beauty ideal, so they don’t like to be confronted with skinny models either. Thirdly, plus-size models are more appreciated by unconfident women, who compare themselves more to models in beauty magazines. Fourthly, social standards such as “Clothes hang better on thin fashion models” have an influence on customers. Women who don’t internalize these social standards prefer fuller models. Because the preference for fuller models depends on personal characteristics, marketers should keep in mind their target group.
The Radboud University study shows that women are not always against skinny models. Using fuller models can thus have a negative impact on your brand. However, the realistic and beautiful models of the Dove Campaign for real beauty appealed to different types of women. The success of the campaign was mainly due to the debate it created. By opening a discussion about a controversial subject, Dove drew consumers into the conversation. Because Dove challenged people to decide what they thought about the models, customers were more involved in the advertising campaign.
Ketelaar, Paul, and Anneke Willems. “Volle en slanke modellen in reclame – Mag het een onsje meer zijn?” Tijdschrift voor marketing Dec. 2009: 29-31. Print.
