New Dove Research Shows 72% of Girls Feel Pressure to Be Beautiful

Many women have a complex relationship with the mirror because they are not happy with the way they look. Sadly, one in three women say they feel anxious and hardly ever smile at themselves because of what they see in the mirror, according to new Dove global research. The new Dove Mirrors campaign invites women to recapture the elation they felt when they looked at their reflection as young girls and pass that feeling on to the next generation. When women look in the mirror, they see more than just their appearance, and the simple act of smiling can impact both how you look and how you feel. With this campaign, Dove encourages women to see what they like about themselves rather than the negatives.

In Mirrors, Dove illustrates the reaction women have when looking at their own reflection in contrast to young girls. The spot shows women and girls reacting to their reflection in the mirror. The women frown at their reflection, while girls love what they see. Learning to like your own reflection can help raise a woman's self-esteem and thereby enable her to realize her full potential. Dove research shows that 80% of women feel anxious about the way they look and only 4% would describe themselves as beautiful. Dove wants to encourage women to develop a positive relationship with beauty.

"In an effort to create a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety, we strive to inform, inspire and ignite conversation and change," said Jennifer Bremner, director of marketing, Dove. "Dove hopes that the Mirrors campaign inspires women to reassess how they see themselves and ensure that every encounter a woman has with her own reflection is a positive affirmation of her beauty."

During the sixth annual Mom 2.0 Summit (May 1-3, 2014), Dove will convene with leading digital voices in parenting to host a keynote panel conversation bringing together forward-thinking perspectives on beauty and confidence. Moderated by HLN Morning Express news anchor Robin Meade, the panel will feature:

  • Pippa Lord—A lifestyle expert and former photography director will share a perspective on the future of confidence through the lens of beauty.
  • Dr. Robyn Silverman—The award-winning psychologist will broaden the conversation, bringing to light the relationship between an individual's confidence and their feelings of beauty.
  • Karen Walrond—Author of The Beauty of Different, she will share her perspective on the ever-evolving definition of beauty.
  • Jennifer Bremner—The director of marketing for Dove will discuss the evolving beauty conversation over the past decade and how the industry is evolving.

Bremner adds, "Women tend to be self-deprecating when they look in the mirror and this affects their overall confidence and happiness in their beauty. It is important to facilitate these essential conversations that can help women rethink how they see their beauty and themselves."

Girls replicate their mothers' behaviors about beauty, confidence and self-esteem. A striking 72% of girls feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful. It is important that mothers recognize the beauty in themselves and set positive examples for their daughters. Dove invites all women to recapture the elation they felt when they looked at their reflection as young girls and pass that feeling on to the next generation. The brand has set a global goal of reaching 15 million young lives with self-esteem programming by the end of 2015 and has reached over 13 million so far.

Learn more about Dove Mirrors at Dove.com/BeautyIs or join the conversation at #BeautyIs.

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