There is a reason it’s called body image. The image we have in our head doesn’t always match the image in the mirror. Just today, my skinny, healthy friend, commented on how she feels fat. I am like “Hello! You are a size 4.” And then on the other side, sometimes I picture myself as “just plump” and am in denial to some of my own weight issues. Body image. All of us battle it. The Looking Glass Foundation, did a social marketing campaign comparing eating disorders to a suicide note—it is a cry for help, written if not in words then signs. The visual of the anorexic girl in the TV spot is simple but powerful. As viewers we can emotionally connect to that moment of getting on the scale—and although we can not understand what the girl is thinking, we feel for her and want to reach into the screen and help her see the truth. Another creative execution they did is a toothbrush in a baggie with this headline: “Attempting to purge, Jane B. broke her toothbrush off in her throat and choked.” There is a fine line with an eating disorder. Not every anorexic is skinny. Not every bulimic is obvious. There is help. And hope. As girls and women, we all need to have better body images, and learn to love our bodies as ourselves.
While we’re on the subject, I’ve included another spot from another organization that I like as well here. It’s pretty compelling.
There are a lot of examples of creative marketing that targets women. If you want to see more, check out my blog series, Marketing to women: 20 companies that connect.
This blog post is #10, in my series 21 creative social marketing campaigns.
