Unilever is dropping the word 'normal' from its packaging and will no longer use the word to describe particular physical characteristics on the packaging for its products. Through a tweet, the company informed, "We’re saying #YesToPositiveBeauty Brands that don’t just do less harm, but also do more good for people and the planet. Saying no to ‘normal’ in ads and on packs across all our beauty brands is just one way we’re taking action."
The company also said that it would now no more "digitally alter a person's body shape, size, proportion or skin colour in its brand advertising, and will increase the number of advertisements portraying people from diverse groups who are underrepresented."
Unilever drops the word 'normal' from its marketing to be more inclusive about different people and body types. Also in India Dove launches Stop the Beauty Test
An inclusive and progressive move
Dropping the word 'normal' and promoting the idea of body positivity is indeed an inclusive and progressive move. Of course, this might not fix too many problems and stereotypes women face because of their skin colour and so called 'abnormal' body features. But this is an important step. Unilever's president of beauty and personal care said in the company's statement, "With one billion people using our beauty and personal care products every day, and even more seeing our advertising, our brands have the power to make a real difference to people's lives." Yes, a diverse group of people use the company's products and saying that using their products would give them 'normal' body features meant excluding them from the mass. Who gets to define 'normal' for us? Shouldn't we ourselves choose what is normal for us?
Digitally altering a person's body shape, size or skin colour again meant feeding a bundle of 'lies' to the users. The advertisements would create a desire in them to 'become someone else'. This leads to 'discretionary purchase'. In simple words, a situation where people don't really need a product but purchase it anyway thinking that it will transform them and make them a 'better version of themselves'. The progressive move by the company to spread the message of acceptance among the common mass must be applauded. In fact, more and more companies should come up with such initiatives, wherein, they take inclusive steps and educate others about accepting themselves and not trying to shape themselves in a way the society wants.
Change in India
Recently in a campaign Dove India, talked about breaking beauty stereotypes. With #stopthebeautytest, the company questioned 'one' idea of beauty in a country of over 700 million women. These were primarily targeted at matrimonial advertisements which tend to expect brides to be slim, tall, beautiful with straight hair. In this video, women from different walks of life ask society to stop the beauty test.
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