Perceiving Beauty:
Adolescent Girls’ Perceptions of Ads Featuring Diverse Models
Monica Van Engelen
University of Amsterdam 1 February, 2019
Introduction
In 2014, Aerie, a sub-store of American Eagle specializing in women’s underwear and lounge wear, launched their #AerieREAL campaign, pledging to use real women, of all different sizes and shapes who are not edited or retouched in their advertisements (Adweek, 2018). All communications from Aerie since this time have showcased women of many diverse body types who have not been photoshopped. Since the launch of this campaign, Aerie has seen an increase in sales (Trefis Team, 2018), and received a tremendous amount of positive attention on social media (Pearl, 2018). Part of the reason that Aerie has received such positive attention is that they, along with a few other advertisers including Dove and Glossier, are breaking with the norm of showing ultra-thin models and attempting to expand the cultural definitions of beauty.
These cultural definitions of beauty that Aerie and others are attempting to change, have long been exclusive. Wolf (1997) describes how from the beginning of advertising, marketers have created demand by creating a beauty ideal. In an effort to drive consumption, they have showcased abnormally beautiful models who, since the technology has been available, are often photoshopped and retouched to appear even more exceptional. In response, audiences may feel inferior, and in pursuit of the model’s beauty, are driven to buy products because they believe on some level that they will be closer to that level of unrealistic beauty. The vast dissemination of these images of "impossible-to-achieve" beauty has constructed an elusive beauty ideal. It has been well documented that being exposed to these exclusive and impossible to achieve images in the media may have a negative effect on women’s self-esteem and body image (Polivy & Herman, 2005; Thomsen et al, 2002; Clay et al, 2005).
Though the cultural definition of beauty evolves from decade to decade (Wolf, 1997), by the necessity of advertisers and marketers, it remains equally impossible to achieve. At
present in western cultures the definition of beauty that has been created and disseminated by advertisers is inherently tied to body type (Frith et al, 2005). It is prescribed to be “tall, with long legs, a very thin body, small hips and waist, large breasts, well-toned muscles, no obvious body fat, wrinkle- and blemish-free skin, and European hair and facial features,” (Chrisler & Johnston-Robledo, 2018). However, a new trend is emerging whereby advertisers use diverse models in their persuasive messages, including models of varying age, skin colour and body type. This will be referred to as the diversity trend for the duration of the paper. Because western culture so closely aligns beauty with body type, our research focuses exclusively on this element of the diversity trend.
Though many advertisers like Victoria’s Secret continue to promote the standard beauty ideal, brands like Aerie, Dove, and Glossier have embraced the diversity trend, likely in an effort to be seen by their audiences as more relatable, more accepting, and more purposeful, thereby resonating with consumers. These companies are building on a growing cultural
movement which has arisen to push against the exclusive beauty ideal and redefine beauty; they have seen an opportunity to redefine themselves as well (Pounder, 2018). In response to these campaigns many have expressed their approval. Anecdotal evidence suggests that activists support the propagation of images showcasing diverse beauty presumably because they believe that these images will expand the cultural definition of beauty and as a result expand the number of people who are “beautiful.” This in turn, should impact the way that women think about their bodies causing them to be more self-accepting, leading to more positive body image, and higher self-esteem. However, the potentially positive effects of these campaigns have not been
examined. As a first step in comprehending the implications of the diversity trend, it is important to examine perceptions of viewers.
Older women have spent most of their lives looking at ultra-thin models since this diversity trend in advertising has only recently emerged. Their perception of culturally defined beauty is largely established by this ideal as a result, and as such, may take time to change. However, teenagers and young women may be more receptive to this budding trend, especially given that many of these advertisements seem to be targeting young women. As the trend continues to expand, the teenage girls who grow up alongside it will likely be more influenced than their mothers, and it could shape their perceptions of beauty and identity. Thus, this research will focus on teenagers and young women and will examine how teenagers perceive the cultural beauty ideal, how they understand the presence of diverse body types in advertisements and whether they think advertising campaigns showing diverse body types have the desired effects.
As such, this research fills a gap in the literature by considering how adolescent girls perceive and evaluate diverse body types in advertisements, if they see normal and plus sized body types as outliers or as being integrated into the beauty ideal, and considering if they think there is an impact on their body image, their self-esteem and the way their identity forms.
Thus, the research question guiding this paper is:
How do adolescent girls experience and evaluate the presence of diverse body types in advertisements and what is the perceived effect on body image, self-esteem and identity formation?
Theoretical Framework
In an effort to begin to understand the teenage experience with advertisements, we consider the lens of Festinger’s (1954) social comparison theory which states that humans are
driven to evaluate their behavior and they often do so by way of comparing themselves to others. As Pounder puts it, “individuals engage in social comparisons with others to evaluate the self on a given dimension,” (2018, p. 134). Using this theory, we have determined a number of sub-questions which will be considered in order to focus and guide the research.
Beauty
In the advertising context of this research, the given dimension on which individuals compare themselves according to social comparison theory is physical appearance or beauty (Pounder, 2018). Beauty is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2019) as “exciting aesthetic pleasure,” while Chrisler and Johnston-Robledo (2018) specify that it generally pertains to female attractiveness. Research has supported the idea that individuals engage in upward comparisons to models in ads meaning that they compare themselves to someone who is “perceived to be ‘better’ on a given dimension,” (Pounder, 2018, p. 135) – in this case, beauty. Martin and Kennedy (1993) found that exposure to highly attractive models raises the
comparison standard for beauty and that the tendency of adolescent girls to compare themselves to models increased with age. Tsai and Chang (2007) also found that teenagers tend to compare themselves with highly attractive models. Given that this comparison takes place, it is crucial in this research to understand what qualities adolescent girls believe comprise beauty.
Given that advertisers have a hand in creating beauty (Chrisler & Johnston-Robledo, 2018; Wolf, 1997), it is likely that as models of diverse body sizes are increasingly shown in beauty campaigns, those images will be included in the cultural perceptions of beauty, and thus, would indeed expand the definition of beauty. However, little research has been done on the construction of beauty in the minds of adolescent girls. As such, it is unknown how adolescent
girls understand and construct beauty – whether they believe that the diversity trend has begun to change their understanding of beauty, if they subscribe to the cultural definition of beauty
outlined above, or if they have their own measures of beauty. As a result, it is unclear how they will perceive the beauty of models of different shapes and sizes in ads. In order to answer the research question, we must first examine how adolescent girls understand beauty:
What qualities do adolescent girls associate with beauty? How do adolescent girls describe/perceive beauty?
Body Type
It has been established time and again that beauty in western cultures is very closely related to body type (Chrisler & Johnston-Robledo, 2018; Wolf, 1997; Frith et al, 2005), and as a result, is a secondary dimension on which individuals likely compare themselves.
Research surrounding the body types of models in advertising has revealed a number of conflicting viewer reactions. Borau and Bonnefon (2017) showed that natural models (average or plus sized models) triggered repulsion in viewers with higher body mass index. This effect could be due to the fact that these participants may have identified with the model in these ads and that their self-criticisms were thus applied to the model. Alternatively, it is possible that these participants expected to engage in upward comparison (the model was expected to be “better” on the dimension of body type), but when faced with a plus-sized model, instead engaged in downward comparison whereby the participants rated themselves higher on this dimension than the model, and as such were repulsed by the model. In contrast, Diedrichs and Lee (2011) showed that women who viewed average-sized models felt better about their bodies
than those who viewed thin models, and that this is likely due to social comparison. These findings taken together suggest that audiences pay close attention to model body size in advertisements and are very likely to compare themselves along this dimension.
Because teenage girls likely compare their bodies to those of models, we must examine the perceived relationship between beauty and body type. Although advertisers appear to be trying to create a more inclusive beauty ideal by featuring women with a variety of body types, the proportion of normal- and plus-sized models in advertisements compared to ultra-thin models still appears minimal. As such, normal- and plus-sized models may be seen as outliers as opposed to an expansion of the definition of beauty. Thus, in order to establish whether
adolescent girls see normal and plus-sized bodies as beautiful, we build on the above question by asking:
How do adolescent girls perceive the relationship between beauty and body type?
Body Image
Once an individual compares herself to a model on the grounds of beauty and body type, the result will likely be an impact on her body image, self-esteem and potentially to her identity formation. Body image is loosely defined by De Vignemont as a “mental representation of the body,” (2010, p. 669), with a positive body image involving love, respect, appreciation, and admiration for the body, its beauty and its functions (Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015).
The body image of audiences is closely related to images shown in the
advertisements due to social comparison; models of different sizes have been shown to impact an individual’s body image in different ways. Diedrichs and Lee (2011) showed that exposure to
average-sized models was associated with a more positive body image. Similarly, Dittmar and Howard (2004) showed that only women who are exposed to thin models experience decreased body image. Both of these results are likely due to the fact that the bodies of the audience members and the body of the average model were more similar, and thus deemed more
acceptable than when compared to the thin model. In stark contrast, Clay and colleagues (2005) found that exposure to models of any body type resulted in a drop in the body satisfaction of adolescent girls. This could be due in part to the fact that adolescent girls engage in high degrees of comparison (Martin & Kennedy, 1993), or due to the beauty of the models. While body type is being manipulated in these studies, the beauty of the models is not. In other words, both average and thin models are likely beautiful and highly made up. This could reduce the negative affect of comparison along one dimension (body type), but not the other (beauty), leaving audiences similarly unsatisfied with their own bodies due to comparisons to beautiful models.
Further, it appears that the internalization of thinness as a beauty ideal increases the negative effect of thin models and the positive effect of average models on body image (Dittmar & Howard, 2004; Diedrichs & Lee, 2004). This is in line with social comparison theory; the more important an individual believes thinness is, the more likely she is to compare herself to that “ideal” and find herself lacking on that dimension. These results would also suggest that the inclusion of models with more diverse bodies in advertisements could provide possible
comparisons that are more similar to the bodies of average audience members, resulting in more positive evaluations and thus more positive body image. To our knowledge, studies have not been conducted on how women or adolescent girls understand and evaluate the comparison of their bodies to those shown in advertisements, and what they believe to be the effects of diverse body types in advertisements on their own body image. In order for us to learn how adolescent
girls experience and evaluate the presence of diverse bodies in advertisements, we must expressly consider their perceptions of the effects of the diversity trend by asking:
How do adolescent girls feel their body image is affected by advertisements showing models with diverse body types?
Self-Esteem
Pierce and colleagues define self-esteem as an “overall evaluation of self-worth,” (1989, p. 623). Similarly to body image, self-esteem can be impacted as a result of an individual comparing herself to models on both beauty and body type. Further, an individual’s self-esteem is often closely linked to her body image due to the social construction that “physical
attractiveness is one of women’s most important assets, and something that all women should strive to achieve and maintain,” (Baker-Sperry & Grauerholz, 2003, p. 711). In other words, there is a cultural norm that women and girls should place enormous emphasis on their physical appearances which culturally locates nearly all female-worth in appearances, making the link between body image and self-esteem nearly inseparable (Chrisler & Johnston-Robledo, 2018).
Additionally, the comparison of one’s self to advertising images is believed to have substantial effects on consumer self-esteem (Chrisler & Johnston-Robledo, 2018; Polivy & Herman, 2002; Thmosen et al, 2002). Research results supports this idea. Clay and colleagues (2005) found that when adolescent girls view images of models and likely engage in social comparison, there is a fall in self-esteem and body image. Further, individuals who internalize the cultural beauty ideal tend to have lower self-esteem and body image (Vandenbosch & Eggermont, 2012; Diedrichs & Lee, 2011; Dittmar & Howard, 2004) and those with low
self-esteem are more likely to compare themselves to models (Martin & Kennedy, 1993). These results show that self-esteem is closely correlated with body image and that self-esteem is both a predictor of social comparison and a result of social comparison. As such, adolescent girls’ perceptions of the diversity trend’s effect on self-esteem is a crucial element to examine in order to answer the research question. Thus, we ask:
How do adolescent girls perceive their self-esteem is affected by advertisements showing models with diverse body types?
Identity Formation
A relatively unexamined element of the teenage experience with advertisements is its relationship to identity formation. Identity formation takes place in adolescence and has been conceptualized as “the individual’s attempt to define one’s self through personal values as well as perceived social interconnectedness,” (Matthews et al, 2014, p. 2355). This process of identity formation involves deciding who an individual is and who they want to be in the future, and importantly can have lasting effects on adult life, including self-esteem (Matthews et al, 2014; Soerjoatmodjo, 2016). Soerjoatmodjo (2016) describes the process by which identity formation occurs, indicating that first the individual gathers information: from their past about who they are, combined with who others think they should be. Importantly, a source for this information is likely the media which prescribes expectations for individuals’ identities which adolescents likely pick up on and integrate into their identity formation. The second part of the process involves trying on these roles and ideologies, looking for the best fit, and then committing to those choices (Soerjoatmodjo, 2016).
Models shown in advertisements may function on some level as role models which could impact the way adolescent girls think they should be, thereby influencing their identity formation. If the prescription conveyed in advertisements of how a woman should look and behave is narrow, then an individual would likely leave the identity formation phase with little idea about who she is, and a potential feeling of alienation, which could have lasting effects. On the other hand, if this prescription is vast, an individual will likely have an easier time sorting through this information and selecting identity characteristics which fit them more naturally. This would lead to the individual leaving the identity formation period feeling much more confident, self-assured and with higher self-esteem.
While this may be slightly removed from the concepts of beauty, body type and body image, identity formation is arguably a function of social comparison and does have strong effects on self-esteem (Soerjoatmodjo, 2016). The fact that women are encouraged by the media to put their worth in their appearance (Wolf, 1997) indicates that in fact, beauty and body image might be more closely associated with identity formation than it would appear. Thus, the more diverse media images that adolescent girls have to consider while forming their identities, the more likely they are to find a sound fit, and the more likely they are to have “a strong sense of self identity, [and be] equipped to face adulthood with certainty and confidence,”
(Soerjoatmodjo, 2016, p. 141). As such, adolescent girls could perceive an expanding beauty ideal as a growth in culturally accepted ways to be (and look), facilitating a more liberating and genuine identity formation process which will have more positive results.
Consequently, in order to answer the research question, we ask adolescent girls to consider how the diversity trend impacts the way they think about their identity now, and how it might have an impact in the future:
How do adolescent girls think that advertisements showing models with diverse body types changes the way their identity forms?
Methods
Sample
To answer the main research question and sub-questions, we conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups. In November 2018, a number of female high school students were contacted in person and over social media like Facebook and text messaging. These students were selected as they were secondary connections to the researcher, meaning they were not familiar enough with the researcher to be concerned about judgement, but likewise were not put in an uncomfortable situation with an unknown adult. Purposive sampling was used in order to reach teenage girls with different backgrounds in order to produce a variety of views and
opinions regarding diverse body types in advertisements. The main sampling criteria was age. In the end, 24 girls participated; 11 were interviewed individually, while 13 participated in one of four focus groups. Participants were female high school students ranging in age from 14 to 19 (M = 16.68, SD = 1.32), though varied in their levels of athletic activities, academic interests, level of classes, and body image, all of which were self-reported in a survey that participants took prior to the interviews and focus groups. The variety in these areas was used to ensure a broad spectrum of views on the subject of research.
Procedure
Before the interviews and focus groups took place, the researcher informed participants both verbally and in writing about the research process and the recording of the research. It was also explained that the collected information would only be used for the study, would not be shared with third parties, and that the anonymity of the participants would be protected. Participants signed the informed consent forms indicating that they voluntarily agreed to participate in the study.
The interviews lasted between 18 and 50 minutes with an average span of 31 minutes and took place over the phone (N = 4) or in quiet rooms at the homes of participants (N = 5) or of the interviewer (N = 2), depending on the preference of the interviewee. Participants were
encouraged to discuss as much or as little as they felt comfortable with.
The 4 focus groups (one of four participants, two of three participants, and one of two participants) lasted between 50 and 95 minutes with an average span of 71 minutes, and took place in a quiet room at the homes of a participant in the focus group (N = 1) or of the focus group moderator (N = 3). The focus group moderator provided donuts as snacks for the focus group participants. Participants sat around a table and were encouraged to discuss the questions with one another and to build upon the ideas of other participants.
Topics
The interview guide consisted of topics informed by the theoretical framework described above. The aim of Topic 1 was to have participants articulate the qualities that they found beautiful. Topic 2 aimed to have participants discuss their perception of the relationship between beauty and body type. Based on social comparison theory, these are some of the
concepts on which participants might compare themselves to models, so it was important to have them articulate their thoughts on these topics. Topic 3 took this discussion to a more concrete level when we showed participants ads (Appendix A) and asked them to evaluate and discuss their thoughts, feelings and reactions towards each ad, including whether they felt that they compared themselves to the models in each ad. Both advertisements were for underwear and lounge wear and both said “NEW Collection.” Additionally, each ad showed four models and had all branding removed. The first ad that participants viewed showed typically thin models, of relatively similar heights, body types and overall appearance in a conventional advertisement, while the second ad showed four models of different body types and heights, all wearing
different garments. During the phone interviews, interviewees were sent the images (labeled ad 1 and ad 2) ahead of time and asked to only open each file when the interviewer indicated. During the in-person interviews and focus groups, each ad was printed on 8.5” x 11” paper and shown to the participants one at a time.
Topics 4, 5 and 6 examined the results of social comparison. With Topic 4, we had participants discuss how they felt body image is related to images in advertising and model body types. The goal of Topic 5 was to find out if participants thought their esteem or the self-esteem of others was affected by the presence of plus sized models in advertisements. Finally, the aim of Topic 6 was to have participants discuss the forces that might impact their current and future identity formation, specifically with regards to the diversity trend. The full interview guide is included in Appendix B.
The interviewer was a young woman (student) who was interested in and receptive to the participants answers. Consequently, interviewees generally felt comfortable with the
interviewer which allowed for in depth conversations around the proposed ideas and the open discussion some potentially sensitive and revealing subjects, particularly within focus groups.
Analysis
To analyse the data, we used the grounded theory approach in which each of the interviews and focus groups was transcribed verbatim, and was subsequently coded using open coding in the program Atlas.ti. Each interview and focus group transcript was read line by line and detailed codes were applied. This process resulted in 155 codes which provided an overview of how the participants perceive, experience, and evaluate the presence of normal and plus sized models in advertisements.
Following the open coding, focused coding was used to develop a framework in which the results of this study could be clearly communicated. In reading through the open codes, the researcher began to categorize codes together according to question responses and themes. The final coding structure is presented in the results section. The transcripts including the coding structure are available upon request.
Reliability and Validity
In order to ensure the reliability and validity of the study a number of strategies were used. Firstly, the combination of focus groups and interviews was used to ensure data
triangulation. This allowed us to discern which views were articulated privately by individuals, which ideas were constructed by groups and which ideas were expressed both by groups and individuals. This also made the study more transferable to future research. Further, in order to provide the most information to readers, thick description is used throughout the findings section of this paper to ensure the trustworthiness and credibility of this study. Additionally, the
that were made and the reasoning behind each of these choices. This was done throughout the data collection and analysis phases of research. Finally, the use of Atlas.ti coding program, an extensive methods section, and the availability of the raw and coded data aims to make the research process transparent.
Results
Participants were asked questions based on the topics outlined above which served to answer the research question on the whole. As such, this section will answer the guiding research question by closely examining each sub-research question.
Beauty and Body Type
What qualities do adolescent girls associate with beauty? How do adolescent girls describe/perceive beauty?
How do adolescent girls perceive the relationship between beauty and body type?
Participants were asked about what qualities they believed were beautiful. Throughout these conversations, body type was intertwined with beauty, both in participants individual conceptions of beauty and in their perceptions of societal beauty ideals. As such, the connections between beauty and body type, outlined in the second research question will be discussed here.
Views on Beauty
Participants drew a distinction between the qualities that they themselves found attractive and what they believed society found attractive. Three trends emerged as participants discussed their own perceptions of beauty:
Irrelevant body type: In regards to their own views on beauty, some participants felt that body type was irrelevant to beauty and that people of any size or shape could be beautiful:
“I think that you can be physically beautiful and be a larger woman or you can be handsome and be a larger male or even vice-versa. You can be very physically fit and […] not perceived as beautiful.” (Age 17, Interview)
Healthy body type: Others felt that a particular body type, specifically a fit or “healthy” body type was important to beauty. Interestingly, individuals regarded fitness, health and athletic performance above thinness in attractiveness. When asked what body type she found most attractive, one participant stated:
“My personal preference is as long as you’re healthy then you’re good. I really do think that physical activity is really important and as long as you’re physically fit.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Beautiful personality: Additionally, even though interview questions specifically related to physical qualities, participants discussed non-physical beautiful qualities as well. Participants noted that personality and genuineness was key in whether they found someone beautiful or not. When asked about her perceptions of beauty, one interviewee said:
“I think a lot of it has to do with who you are as a person and that if you are a good, genuine person people will perceive you as being beautiful no matter what you look like.” (Age 17, Interview)
Societal Perceptions of Beauty
As mentioned, participants generally distinguished between what they thought was beautiful and their perceptions of the cultural beauty ideal. When describing the cultural beauty ideal participants discussed three key features:
Thin body type: Participants described the typical thin, fit model body type as being one of the most prized body types culturally:
“Probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think beautiful is the long luscious hair and skinny is almost everyone’s definition of beautiful.” (Age 15, Focus Group)
“People want just slim and I don’t understand that. […] People want you to be fit like this but not too fit.” (Age 19, Interview)
Curvy body type: The curvy body type that participants discussed includes a round derriere and large breasts, and they perceived this to be the most attractive to men. When asked what she thought was beautiful, one participant articulated what she believed to be the male perspective saying:
Flat stomach: Importantly, a flat or toned stomach was considered a key feature of both body types despite their other differences. One participant articulated that your body can look like anything, and as long as your stomach is flat, people believe that you have a beautiful body: “People always identify [their stomach] with their body. If you have a nice body, your stomach is nice.” (Age 16, Interview)
These results compared to individual perceptions of beauty show that the perceived societal definition of beauty, or the beauty ideal, is quite specific, as participants keyed in on very specific elements of appearance. Comparatively, individual perceptions of beauty can be extremely varied and open, and do not necessarily align with the beauty ideal.
Appearances and Abilities
In addition to conceptions of beauty and of the societal beauty ideal, participants also discussed a close link between appearances and personalities or abilities. In addition to drawing conclusions about the personalities of models, participants also made two connections linking ability with appearance:
Thinness and athletics: Participants articulated a connection between thinness and fitness or athletic abilities, implying that in order to be strong or physically fit, you had to be thin. One participant put this in the context of her dancing:
“Maybe she can do that because her body is like that. […] Is she good at that because she’s been working hard or is that coming naturally to her because her body is that way and mine’s not. […] Why can I not do that? Because I don’t look like that.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Beauty and personality: Participants linked attractive appearance with an attractive personality and discussed this ideal largely within the social realm, describing the social dynamics around appearances and people’s judgements based on those appearances:
“I find that a lot of people, they could be really pretty, their face could be really pretty, or they could be a really good person, but people won’t like them because they’re not the ideal body type. They’re not skinny.” (Age 17, Interview)
Features of the Beauty Ideal
Although the concept of the beauty ideal was not discussed specifically with the participants, it came up frequently in our discussions so some findings will be detailed here. Interviewees identified two features of the beauty ideal:
Evolving: Participants understood the beauty ideal to be dependent on the time and location. For example, one participant was Chinese American and described the differences in the North American and Chinese beauty ideals. Additionally, some participants described how the beauty ideal had evolved over the decades indicating their awareness of the concept of beauty ideal: “I think that [the beauty ideal] kind of changes as time changes. I know I’ve learned in the past having a rounder figure was a sign of wealth but now at least in the United States it’s generally considered more attractive that you’re more fit and skinnier.” (Age 17, Interview)
Cumulation of images: In contrast to understanding the evolving nature of the beauty ideal, participants perceive the beauty ideal to be the result of the cumulative advertisements promoting
images of beauty that they had been exposed to throughout their life resulting in a firmly engrained and semi-fixed idea of beauty against which they must compare themselves. While considering Advertisement 1, one participant described her relationship to the beauty ideal by saying:
“One image doesn’t affect us as much because it’s the graduation of how much we’ve seen throughout our lives that it doesn’t affect us now. But when you go to the gym, you go back to this image and you think, ‘This is what I want to look like. This is what I’m striving towards.’” (Age 17, Interview)
Accepting the Beauty Ideal
As previously mentioned, participants identified that they negotiate with the beauty ideal by accepting or resisting the beauty ideal, though these negotiations are complex and are not mutually exclusive. Participants identified three ways they accept the beauty ideal:
Comparing: Participants describe comparing themselves to others and comparing themselves to the beauty ideal. In comparing themselves to an image, they have identified that image as
beautiful and a model for what they should be, thus comparison is an element of acceptance. One participant described how she compared herself to the beauty ideal:
“You’ll see someone else’s Instagram page and you see all of their really pretty pictures of them and looking really nice on a school day or in a bikini on the beach […] and then you look at your own and you’re thinking ‘I’m not meeting those standards.’” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Motivation: Participants also describe accepting the beauty ideal by using it and its associated images as motivation to improve themselves. In response to Advertisement 1, one participant stated:
“[An image] makes me want to push myself and maybe work harder and get my body into better shape, but it’s more of a motivation than a blow to my self-esteem.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Pressure: However, girls also articulated that accepting the beauty ideal created a lot of pressure to fit the ideal. One participant articulated this pressure by saying:
“[Instagram models] all have millions and millions of followers. You associate with that ‘This is what a lot of people find attractive, and I also want people to find me attractive.’ It just makes that association that this is what I should look like.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Resisting the Beauty Ideal
In contrast, participants also discussed their resistance to the beauty ideal and described two criticisms which helped them achieve that resistance:
Damaging: Participants described the beauty ideal as damaging to women, saying that many models are too thin and that this promotes unhealthy behaviour:
“There’s a thin line between judging yourself. [Advertisement 1 with thin models] would give me motivation to work out and get where I want to be, but then there are some girls where you look at that this and then they get sick from it and become anorexic.” (Age 14, Focus Group)
Impossible: They also described how they consider the beauty ideal to be impossible to achieve given their own inability to change certain things about themselves. In response to
Advertisement 1, one participant described her inability to change things that make her different from the beauty ideal:
“I obviously don’t have this body type and I just know I don’t and I know my own body and it’s just like I probably won’t look like that ever.” (Age 17, Interview)
These negotiations between accepting and resisting illustrate the complicated
relationship that participants have to the beauty ideal and how it is simultaneously appealing and damaging. However, importantly, participants felt like there was no way to escape this dynamic. These results are illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Beauty and Body Type
Body Image
How do adolescent girls feel their body image is affected by advertisements showing models with diverse body types?
Participants felt that body image is a complicated element impacted by many factors including the media. Participants articulated that they felt that media had a larger direct impact
How do adolescent girls describe/perceive beauty and is there
a connection to body type?
Personal views on beauty
Irrelevant body type Healthy body type Beautiful personality
Societal perceptions of beauty
Thin body type Curvy body type
Flat stomach Appearances and
abilities
Thinness and athletics Beauty and personality
Features of the beauty ideal
Evolving Cumulation of images
Accepting the beauty ideal
Comparing Motivation Pressure Resisting the beauty
ideal
Damaging Impossible
on their body image than on their self-esteem or identity. They described that the media, including advertisements, influenced their body image in two ways:
Exposure to unrealistic images when young: Participants expressed that being exposed to unrealistic images of beauty from a very young age deeply instilled the beauty ideal: “Little kids are so impressionable, little girls especially just because now it’s introduced so young. They see so much and this [beauty ideal] is just going to be an image that is in their head. ‘This is what I should look like.’” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Inability to relate to models: Participants also expressed that advertisements and the media encouraged them to compare themselves to models and other “role models,” despite an inability to relate to those models. When asked about Advertisement 1, one participant articulated her inability to relate, stating:
“Very few people would say ‘Oh that looks just like me.’” (Age 17, Interview)
Advertisements with Thin Models
This relationship between media/advertisements and body image means that participants reacted in three main ways to seeing the typical advertisement with thin models described above and shown in Appendix A: comparison, exclusion and desensitization.
Comparison
Automatic comparison: Because the beauty ideal has been so engrained in their minds,
participants reported that comparison to typical models in ads was both automatic and permanent meaning that the beauty ideal resides so solidly in their minds that they could not help but
compare themselves to the models that they were looking at and their mental representations of the beauty ideal:
“I feel like I’m never going to stop comparing myself. It’s just an instant reaction.” (Age 14, Focus Group)
Comparison to appearances: Participants reported comparing their appearances to the models, and comparing the way clothing looked on models with the way clothing looked on themselves in order to judge whether the article of clothing looked on them the way that it was “supposed” to look. This is responding to Advertisement 1 by one participant stating:
“I think a lot of us compare ourselves to what is advertised, because they’re [models] wearing the clothes […] or whatever we’re trying to buy. Then we would compare to see what that look good on me?” (Age 16, Interview)
Exclusion
As suggested above, participants indicated that once the comparison had been made, they felt excluded from the beauty ideal for three main reasons:
Limited representation: Participants felt that Advertisement 1 with thin models was not representative of themselves in any way:
“With the classic Victoria’s Secret ad, you’re representing probably like 5% of the population. Why not include the other 95% of people and represent them so they can relate to it?” (Age 17, Interview)
False diversity: Girls noticed a false sense of diversity and a total lack of diversity in this
advertisement. Even though there was one black model included in the advertisement, she looked identical to the three other blonde. Further, participants noticed how all four models in
Advertisement 1 looked essentially the same:
“For me it’s just like there’s no diversity even though she has a different skin colour, it’s almost like she’s just the same.” (Age 17, Interview)
“They’re all built the exact same, every single one. Their faces are the same. They’re not smiling, they’re not happy.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Exclusive beauty/perfection: Participants felt that Advertisement 1 with thin models was too perfect and had clearly been photoshopped or edited. The models in the ad were too perfect, the garments they were wearing were too perfect, and as a result, they could not identify with these models and felt excluded from the ad:
“I feel like I look at it, I’m like ‘Wow, they look so perfect,’ because it’s clearly been photoshopped and stuff like that.” (Age 15, Focus Group)
Desensitization
Finally, participants expressed that they felt desensitized to advertisements with thin models directly and in two additional ways:
Direct desensitization: Participants were generally aware that they felt desensitized to typical advertisements:
“In one way you’re almost desensitized to this a little bit maybe but at the same time, it’s so implanted in your head.” (Age 17, Interview)
Normal advertisement: Girls identified the ad with the thin models as a “normal advertisement” with “typical models” that they had “seen before everywhere.” When one participant was asked if she felt the models in Advertisement 1 were beautiful, she said:
“They’re pretty, but I wouldn’t say they’re beautiful. They’re just standard. […] There’s nothing standing out about them.” (Age 17, Interview)
Neutral reaction: Participants described a neutral reaction towards Advertisement 1 because it was something that they saw so frequently. One participant stated:
“I’m kind of neutral about liking or disliking it. It’s just kind of another advertisement that you’d see.” (Age 17, Interview)
Advertisements with Diverse Models
In contrast with responses above, advertisements with diverse models had a very different perceived impact on participants’ body images. Participants responded to these ads with a sense of identification and inclusion.
Identification
When shown Advertisement 2 featuring models with diverse body types (described above and shown in Appendix A), participants expressed identification explicitly and through three other processes:
Direct identification: Participants recognized their friends, their realities and most importantly their bodies in this ad, and this type of identification and recognition led to an increased body image:
“Looking at [Advertisement 2] from my perspective I really like it as well because I think I can relate more to these models because I guess my body is more like them.” (Age 17, Interview)
Comfort with imagery: Participants expressed a sense of comfort when looking at Advertisement 2, both with the imagery and with their comparison to the models:
“[The ad with diverse models] makes me feel better just because I don’t feel bad about myself looking at it. […] It’s showing that there is no standard and it’s just about the clothing rather than the body type.” (Age 17, Interview)
Diversity: Participants saw the diverse body types, as well as the diverse ethnicities and backgrounds represented in Advertisement 2 and felt like they could see themselves in the ad: “You can tell all of the models have different backgrounds and they all have different body types. None of them are exactly the same and I think they’re still just as beautiful as the other girls, but I think I see myself more and I relate to this campaign more.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
“They don’t all look stick thin and not all of their hair is the same. They made them look different. […] You can tell that they are different people.” (Age 15, Focus Group)
Realistic: Further participants noticed that Advertisement 2 was realistic. Models had imperfections that the girls identified with. This made participants feel as though their imperfections were also acceptable. Participants stated:
“Finally there’s something being portrayed that’s real.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
“This is a more realistic model. You can see blemishes, but they’re still incredibly beautiful.” (Age 19, Interview)
Inclusion
Closely related to the sense of identification that the girls felt with this ad was the sense of inclusion, which they articulated directly and through their self-inclusion on a spectrum of beauty:
Direct inclusion: Participants articulated a strong sense of inclusion when looking at Advertisement 2 with diverse models:
“I feel like this ad is more inclusive. I feel like I would fit in more with these girls.” (Age 17, Interview)
Comparison to a spectrum: Notably, because Advertisement 2 showed four different body types, for the participants it represented an acceptable spectrum of beauty as opposed to the tall, thin model body type represented in the first ad. Their comparison to a spectrum of beauty made participants feel included and began to shift their body image. A participant articulated this idea saying:
“I feel like the second advertisement is not trying to push a specific body type on to my own standards of beauty. Like I said, there’s a wider variety.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
These results are further illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Body Image
Body Image
How do adolescent girls feel their body image is
affected by advertisements showing
models with diverse body types? Exposure to unrealistic images when young Inability to relate to models How do advertisements showing thin models
impact body image?
Comparison Automatic comparison Comparison to appearances Exclusion Limited representation False diversity Exclusive beauty/perfection Desensitization Direct desensitization Normal advertisement Neutral reaction How do advertisements showing diverse models
impact body image?
Identification
Direct identification Comfort with Imagery
Diversity Realistic Inclusion Direct inclusion
Self-Esteem
How do adolescent girls perceive their self-esteem is affected by advertisements showing models with diverse body types?
Throughout conversations with participants, a number of factors influencing self-esteem were identified, including achievements, body image, and the opinions of others.
Other achievements: Participants identified that academic, athletic and other achievements not related to appearance impacted their self-esteem. One participant described the factors of her self-esteem saying:
“I think intelligence or how smart you feel that you are or things that you’re good at. For me, I’m very musical so I know that if I’m having a rough day with my music I feel like my self-esteem feels a little bit like it goes down.” (Age 17, Interview).
Body Image Impact
As noted, body image was a key indicator for participant’s self-esteem through two elements:
Importance of appearances: Some participants felt that how they felt they looked was extremely important to their self-esteem. This was summarized by one participant:
“I think body image is a big one that has to do with self-esteem because it’s the way you look, the way you think other people see you and so that really has an impact on how you think about yourself.” (Age 17, Interview)
Indirect media influence: Interestingly, participants described that advertisements and media with thin or average sized models impacted their self-esteem indirectly through the impact to their body image. In other words, participants did not feel that seeing diverse models impacted their self-esteem directly, but that this imagery changed their body image which in turn changed their self-esteem. One participant described this process, stating:
“I think [my self-esteem] is located in the body image because I think that if you are looking at an advertisement and you […] feel good about your body after then that totally affects your mood and your self-esteem about how you perceive yourself.” (Age 17, Interview)
This illustrates how advertisements may not have a direct effect on self-esteem but do appear to affect body image and self-perceptions of appearances which, as described above, impacts self-esteem.
Opinions of Others
Participants also described how their self-esteem was related to the perceived opinions of others through four routes:
Comparison to other girls: Participants described how their self-esteem was related to the perceptions of others, including how others might compare them to other girls and how they themselves compared themselves to other girls. One participant discusses this comparison to other girls in the context of being around a friend whom she perceived as more beautiful than herself and describing the impact to her self-esteem:
“I felt like I was just competing, and I felt down on myself all the time because I wasn’t like her.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Comments of others: Girls discussed how the comments, whether compliments and validation or insults of others impacted their self-esteem. One participant felt that:
“The main influencer with how I see myself is still very much rooted in how other people
perceive me. […] I feel like a lot that contributes to it is just the compliments that you get or just what you realize people find attractive. That doesn’t necessarily have to be physical. That could also be personality traits too.” (Age 17, Interview)
Male perspectives: Participants disclosed how their self-esteem came in large part from their male counterparts. They admitted to seeking validation or compliments from boys and using the amount of male attention they received as a measure of their own attractiveness and self-view: “You crave to hear a guy say you’re beautiful, you’re so pretty, that sort of thing. Why do I need that validation from somebody else when I could give that to myself?” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Media impact on opinions: It is important to note that girls’ perceptions of their peers’ opinions are likely shaped by the beauty ideal – they compare themselves to the beauty ideal through the proxy of their peers. This is illustrated by one participant who imposes her perceived beauty ideal on what she thinks men find attractive, whether or not that is truly what they find attractive. She states:
“For guys, they’re not being taught that necessarily all body types are good. If all of the guys are going for the super skinny girl, then they’re going to be like, ‘I should change who I am.’ It’s not necessarily entirely based on the media.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
These results are further shown in Figure 3 and illustrate how the media-conveyed beauty ideal impacts how girls think that others are viewing them. As such, the presence of models with diverse body types shapes self-esteem both through body image and through shaping the perceived opinions of peers.
Figure 3: Self-Esteem
Identity Formation
How do adolescent girls think that advertisements showing models with diverse body types changes the way their identity forms?
Participants identified a number of factors that they believed impacted the way their identity formed including their environment, their family and friends, groups which they were a part of, interests and values. However, the two main factors in their identity formation that girls identified were their self-esteem and the media impact.
How do adolescent girls perceive their self-esteem
is affected by advertisements showing models with diverse body
types?
Other achievements Body Image Impact
Importance of appearances Indirect media influence
Opinions of others
Comparison to other girls Comments of others
Male perspectives Media impact on opinions
Self-Esteem Impact
It seemed that participants did not feel there was necessarily a direct link between the types of models that they were seeing in advertisements and their identity. Instead, girls
identified that their confidence or self-esteem most strongly influenced their identity, which as discussed above, could be indirectly impacted by diverse models in advertisements. Participants expressed that self-esteem can impact identity in two key ways:
Self-esteem leading to fuller expression of identity: Participants described how higher self-esteem can make it easier for girls to be themselves and pursue non-traditional options which may let them be more complete adults. Participants also described how self-esteem can lead them to take risks which make them feel more in touch with themselves and lead to a fuller and more authentic expression of their identity:
“If you feel more confident about yourself, then you’re more willing to maybe pursued things that you’re really interested in.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Reduced self-esteem hindering identity development: On the other hand, participants also
noticed how low self-esteem can make them less likely to pursue their interests and passions, and make them less sure of who they are:
“Maybe you don’t have the confidence to pursue something that you really strong identify with, or pursue an unusual identity.” (Age 17, Focus Group)
“If you’re seeing yourself as more worthless and stuff then you’re not as strong in your identity and more unsure of who you are.” (Age 14, Focus Group)
Thus, an individual’s self-confidence and self-esteem will impact the paths that they take in life, and thus their identity expression and happiness as adults.
Media Impact
It became clear through our discussions that girls felt that media largely shaped their identity in three ways:
Representation: In discussing media representation, it became clear that participants enjoyed seeing people that they could relate to in the media. They felt that it was valuable to see wider representation in the media to validate and embrace their own identity. One participant expressed this when looking at Advertisement 2:
“If they’re confident in who they are with all of their flaws then it strengthens your identity because you think I can be confident in myself, who I am in all aspects.” (Age 17, Interview)
Role models: Participants felt that the media impacted their identity by providing examples and role models, whether these were positive or negative. One participant discussed her perceptions of role models in the media:
“I feel like at a younger age, you’re still figuring out who you are. What you see is what you’re trying to be like more. If you see that more diversity and uniqueness, you’re like ‘I can be that too.’” (Age 17, Focus Group)
Increasing ways to be: In relating the presence of models with diverse body types in advertisements to identity, one participant said:
“I think just having plus-size models and average models displayed more, it makes everything a little bit more accepting so that your self-esteem doesn’t start off so low [and you’re not] trying to be something that you might not be.” (Age 16, Interview)
These results are further illustrated in Figure 4 and demonstrate the combined impact that self-esteem and media have on identity. While media does seem to have a clear direct impact on identity, it also appears to function through self-esteem and confidence to impact the identity formation process as well.
Figure 4: Identity Formation
How do adolescent girls think that advertisements showing
models with diverse body types changes the
way their identity forms?
Self-esteem impact
Self-esteem leading to a fuller expression of identity Reduced self-esteem hindering
identity development
Media impact
Representation Role models Increasing ways to be
Discussion
The purpose of this research was to determine how adolescent girls evaluate and experience advertisements showing models with diverse body types, particularly with regards to their body image, self-esteem and impacts to identity formation. This research sheds light on the perceived impact that diverse body types, compared to typically thin models have on the body image, self-esteem and identity of adolescent girls, as well as providing some indication of the process by which this happens.
Beauty, Body Type and the Beauty Ideal
Adolescent girls demonstrated a nuanced understanding of beauty and the beauty ideal and were able to distinguish between what they considered beautiful qualities, and the societal definition of beauty, or in other words, the beauty ideal. Additionally, participants drew connections between appearances and abilities. While participants did not express why this might be the case, it is possible that these types of connections are largely propagated by advertisements in that advertisements could demonstrate a kind of capability with certain types of models. For example, an advertisement for athletic equipment might showcase a very toned model taking part in a physical activity, while they typically have not shown models with a higher body fat percentage. This type of model selection promotes the linking of appearances and abilities in consumers. Finally, participants showed a critical awareness of the beauty ideal in how it is created in culture, how it exists in their mind, and how they negotiate with its existence when they are very well aware that it is unrealistic and unhealthy. Their understanding of beauty likely affected adolescent girls’ perceptions of body image, self-esteem and identity formation.
Body Image
Our results supported those of Diedrichs and Lee (2011) that exposure to average-sized models was associated with a more positive body image, as well of those of Dittmar and Howard (2004) which showed that women who are exposed to thin models experience decreased body image. Participants expressed that advertisements showing models with diverse body types allowed them to identify with the models and made them feel included and led to a more positive body image. However, the results did not seem aligned with those of Clay and colleagues (2005) who found that exposure to models of any body type resulted in a drop in body satisfaction for young women. They generally felt that advertisements with typically thin models led to
comparison, exclusion and desensitization which resulted in a perceived negative impact to their body image.
Self-Esteem
Participants articulated that many factors impacted their self-esteem including the media, opinions of others, but most prominently, body image. While participants generally did not feel that the presence of diverse models in advertisements had a direct impact on their self-esteem, they did feel that their changed body image had an effect, particularly for those girls whose self-confidence was more rooted in their appearance and body image than their other accomplishments and talents. This is aligned with research results of Chrisler and Johnston-Robledo (2018), Polivy and Herman (2002), Thmosen and colleagues (2002) and Clay and colleagues (2005), however also suggests that body image may mediate this effect. Further, girls discussed how the opinions of others had a significant impact on their self-esteem. In this regard, it is important to consider how the opinions of others are formed; this likely happens when
individuals consciously or unconsciously compare their friends to their own mental
representation of beauty which is likely influenced by the beauty ideal. In this way, adolescent girls’ self-esteem is impacted by the beauty ideal indirectly through their body image and through the opinions of others. This demonstrates that the presence of models with diverse body types in advertisements is still important to adolescent girls’ self-esteem, despite the perceived lack of a direct effect.
Identity
Adolescent girls discussed how their identity is created by their interests, values, and environment, including the people in that environment, but primarily by their self-esteem and the impact of the media. They articulated that they did not feel that the presence of diverse models in advertisements had a limited direct effect on their identity. However, they generally felt very strongly that self-esteem and self-confidence, which as we have established are influenced indirectly by diverse model body types by way of body image, influenced their abilities to pursue their true selves, whether that be through self-expression and clothing, through career paths, through pursuing non-traditional interests, and more. This is closely aligned with
Soerjoatmodio’s (2016) notion that the identity formation process affects self-esteem. However, it appears that self-esteem may also have an impact on identity formation as well. Thus, in this sense, the presence of models with diverse body types in advertisements represented to
adolescent girls more acceptable ways for them to be in the world, opening up the possibility of living a fulfilled adulthood.
Process
Based on our interviews, focus groups and analysis, a pattern began to emerge of how participants felt that the presence of diverse models impacted the different elements discussed. This pattern has been described briefly in the above results but will be articulated more fully here.
Participants described how the kinds of models that they see in advertisements can impact their body image. They then identified that their body image, whether high or low, played a potentially large role in their self-esteem. Finally, girls articulated that their self-esteem and self-confidence impacted their identity formation, and whether their net identity was fully realized or hindered in some way. This proposed process is expressed in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Perceived Impact of Models in Advertisements
Implications for Future Research
This research has provided answers to key questions around how adolescent girls experience models of different body types in advertisements. We have defined and categorized
Thin Decreased via comparison Decreased Hindered
Diverse Increased via identification Increased Flourishing
Exposure to
beauty discussions and perceived effects on body image, self-esteem and identity formation described above. In regards to future research, this categorization should serve as the basis for surveys of adolescent girls to determine the most common responses to and evaluations of advertisements with diverse models.
This research has also provided a proposed process by which advertisements possibly effect different elements of adolescent girls’ beings. The proposed process can be used in future experimental research to determine precisely how advertisements with thin and diverse models affect the body image, self-esteem and identity formation of adolescent by manipulating the types of models that adolescent girls are exposed to and tracking their response through the process. Further, the process suggests that the impact of advertisements on body image might be mediated by whether comparison or identification occurs; the impact of advertisements on self-esteem is likely mediated by body image; and finally, the impact of advertisements on identity formation is likely mediated by self-esteem. Thus, each variable can be manipulated and response to the subsequent variable measured in order to determine the degree to which each variable is affected and mediated.
Implications for Advertisers
Based on the findings, advertisers appear to have a considerable opportunity to positively effect young women. The presence of diverse models in advertisements seems to make adolescent girls more comfortable with their bodies, more confident and more able to pursue a true and full expression of their identities. These types of advertisements, continuing to build on the progress made by Aerie, Dove, Glossier and others could function to normalize the bodies of young women and expand the cultural definition of beauty, allowing them to feel more
comfortable and accepted. As one participant articulated, “If you were to see these [the ad with diverse models] all over the place, the new beautiful would be a lot different and a lot more achievable and acceptable and widespread. There’s a higher variety of acceptable body types,” (Age 17). This shows the unbelievable potential that advertisements may have to expand the societal definition of beauty. If people see diverse models across advertisements, suddenly the one “acceptable” body type has vanished allowing girls of any shape or size to accept themselves and feel beautiful. Further, if young girls grow up seeing diverse models in place of typical models, they will further internalize that broader definition of beauty and will not be driven to strive for an unrealistic standard, and thus will grow into empowered young women.
Some would say that many advertisers are unlikely to make these changes because of the deep seeded feeling that beauty sells and creating a gap between model and viewer which must be overcome by purchasing is the most profitable method. However, it is clear that girls are also looking for models and thus brands which they can identify with and be included in. If advertisers are able to create messages which reflect, encompass and empower their consumers, they will likely attract a good deal of business while creating healthier and more fulfilled young women.
Limitations
The current study has a few limitations which are worth noting. Primarily, this study had limited participants. While this did not seem to be problematic for interviews, as results and ideas were echoed many times, this could potentially be problematic in the focus groups, as the nature of, and ideas generated by each focus group were vastly different. Future qualitative
research in this area should aim to conduct more focus groups with participants of varying ages and backgrounds, as these focus groups proved particularly fruitful in the building of ideas.
Secondly, this study was limited in geographic scope to participants from two cities and their surrounding areas: Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Seattle, Washington, USA. On one hand, it is promising that the ideas and results coming out of each of these cities were similar overall, and suggests that these results may be representative of a North American perspective. On the other hand, some participants noticed that attitudes towards beauty vary greatly from continent to continent (particularly Asia compared to North America). With this in mind, this research is likely geographically limited, and future research should consider how these ideas appear in other countries.
Finally, it should be noted that this research only proposed one ad with typical thin models and one ad showing models of diverse body types. While participants had likely been exposed to and familiar with other ads, it is likely that their responses documented in this research were informed largely by the two advertisements that they reviewed. Further, both of the shown advertisements were selling bras and underwear, meaning that responses to these ads may not carry over to advertisements selling other types of products. Thus, future research should aim to consider a variety of advertisements with thin models and a variety of
advertisements showing models with diverse body types, each from a variety of product types.
Conclusion
The aim of this qualitative research was to examine how adolescent girls perceive, evaluate and experience the presence of models with diverse body types in advertisements, particularly as it relates to body image, self-esteem and identity formation. Interviews and focus
groups revealed that girls perceived a direct effect of advertisements showing diverse models on their body image which trickled down to positively influence their self-esteem and identity formation process. While some advertisers like Aerie are beginning to make this change, many advertisers lag behind. Participants, as well as this researcher, imagine a future with wider representation in advertisements led by examples of Aerie, Dove and Glossier, expanding the definition of beauty and empowering girls and women to accept themselves and pursue their most authentic expressions of identity.
