The original ad:
This ad first appeared on London Underground in 2015, brought by Protein world. The ad portraits a skinny and curvy women in bikini with a black quote made bold – “Are you beach body ready?” Using bright yellow as the theme color is catchy that it is hard to miss this ad. 4 days after the ad going alive, Protein world gained 5000 new customers. Despite how successful the ad was, it triggered outrages from people and was banned in UK.
There is nothing wrong with trying to keep in good shape. But what the ad was imposing is a singular aesthetic standard – skinny and curvy body. It also implemented an idea into women’s head that you can not go to beach if you do not look as good as the model in this ad. This mindset is an implicit form of oppression in a way that it may bring women anxious and inferiority. Women whoever does not have the same body shape as the model may feel pressured and ashamed. Even those who have a fair body shape may feel bad because the beauty standard is so “high”. And as a result, people who see the ad may turn attention to the product Protein world is selling. At the same time, men’s beauty standard for women is narrowed by this ad. It’s redefining of good looking could misguide men’s thoughts on women, which again negatively influence women’s confidence. This ad reinforces the traditional beauty standard on women, constrains women on trying to get better body figure, and exacerbates the issue of female body-shaming.
Navabi’s campaign
Before sharing my rework on the ad, I would like to share a rework of this ad by a plus-size fashion brand that I came across online. Three years after the controversial add appeared in London, Navabi, a plus-size fashion brand brought a positive campaign with slogan “we’re beach body ready” featuring three plus-size models. The braveness and confidence shown in the ad is what the society needs to break the traditional and single beauty standard.
My rework:
Opposed to the mind-manipulative and single-standard original ad, I want to emphasize the idea of embracing your body in this rework. Women should not live in a beauty standard that is set by men or people who they may never met. We should live for ourselves and embrace who we are. No one or nothing can define what is beauty or tell us what to do to look better. The reworked ad encourages women to feel comfortable and confident about their body. It can also restrain women from the mainstream beauty standard. There are thousands of ways of being beautiful, being curvy and skinny is not special. To better oppose to the original ad, the statement in the reworked ad shows that what is really needed for going to beach is your own willingness but not a perfect body shape. Do not let others body shape bring you pain and shame, be brave to accept yourself and embrace who you are!
