Research has shown that even brief exposure to images of thin models negatively affects body image among girls/women. Our objective was to make marketers, fashion leaders and the public aware of this with the ultimate aim of getting the beauty industry to think before they cast/retouch. The challenge was promoting discussion of an issue that has dropped off the radar with a budget of only USD 8,000.

The campaign included a 'Hallmark' style greeting card that read “Thanks for helping to make me such a successful anorexic”; an impossibly tiny T-shirt with the message:"Please try this on to experience how your ads make us feel” and an interactive transit shelter, rallying women to shed their weight problem by shedding their beauty magazines.It garnered national and international headlines as far away as the UK and Japan including a front page story in a national newspaper. It sparked thousands of conversations online about the need for change. The public responded overwhelmingly by dumping dozens of magazines into the transit shelter and adding hundreds of signatures to the online petition urging the media to "cast responsibly and retouch minimally". The campaign hit home with the beauty industry too, showing up on numerous marketing and fashion blogs. It was described by the editor of a leading fashion magazine as 'brilliant'.

Tactics included a media relations campaign targeted towards both national and internationalPress, which included samples of the creative and information about the campaign.An online pledge was created where marketers and fashion leaders could pledge their support and commit to casting responsibly and retouching minimally. An online petition was alsocreated for the general public to sign, which encouraged the industry to make a change.

The campaign garnered national as well as international media attention from as far away as the UK and Japan including a front page article in a national newspaper. And it sparked thousands of conversations online. The public had an overwhelming response with dozens of magazines being dumped into the transit shelter and hundreds of signatures added to the online petition, urging marketers and fashion leaders to broaden their definition of beauty. Traffic to NEDIC’s website rose 250% following the launch of the campaign and it showed up on numerous marketing and fashion blogs worldwide. It was also described by one editor of a leading fashion magazine as ‘brilliant’.