Social media has had face-altering augmented reality filters since 2015. However, most were harmless, adding dog ears or a virtual accessory like a crown. Bold Glamour used one beauty standard and generative AI to airbrush a TikTok user's face so much that some called for it to be illegal due to its mental health effect. The retouching shocked users as it followed their face even with a hand in front of the camera. According to Dove's own research, girls who distort their photos are more likely to have low body-esteem (48%) compared to those that don’t distort their photos at all (28%). As the creator of the No Digital Distortion movement and Dove Self Esteem Project, Dove asked TikTok to #TurnYourBack to Bold Glamour. We needed to amplify the core issue of photo retouching on mental health to generate awareness of the dangers of digital distortion.

Thousands used the Bold Glamour filter, reaching millions in a few days after launch. The filter was so shocking, many tried it to see the effect in action. The generative AI filter worked even with your hand in front of your face. This unlocked our creative idea. The only way for the filter to not distort your face, was for it to not 'see' your face, so we asked people to #TurnYourBack through people that they relate to the most – influencers. This simple, replicable action made it as easy as a dance challenge or reaction prompt for TikTok users to participate. With key influencers like actor Gabrielle Union leading the way, it helped gain attention in the crowded beauty space. For a platform that relies on front-facing activity, influencers turning their back to camera created a movement.

To promote self-acceptance and encourage everyone to embrace natural beauty, Dove’s strategy was to raise awareness around the harmful effects of digital distortion with younger girls, and the moms they trusted, by:

Partnering with Real People: Dove collaborated with influential, authentic creators to deliver the campaign’s message to reject digital distortion.

Turning the Social Conversation on its Head: #TurnYourBack was launched on TikTok, given its popularity amongst young audiences, and where millions had already used the distortion filters.

Using Educational Facts and Insights: #TurnYourBack leveraged data on the prevalence of using filters among young girls and the effects on mental health with media to effectively reach the moms they trust.

Leveraging a Foundation of Credibility: For years, Dove has been committed to promoting positive body image and self-acceptance through The Dove Self-Esteem Project, an established platform that gave it license to lead a conversation on the effects of unrealistic filters.

Within 72 hours of Bold Glamour going viral, Dove asked TikTok to #TurnYourBack to digital distortion. The execution used 68 influencer partners to shift the conversation many influencers drove. Actor Gabrielle Union's video post showed her using Bold Glamour, talking about how it made her feel and then turning her back. An easily replicable format that allowed every user - influencer or otherwise - to participate and drive the counter trend. Where available, partner influencers used a localised stat to drive home the message. This highlighted the prominence of digital distortion among girls and the impact on self-esteem. Earned media outreach and paid online and out of home media targeting females in our key markets (U.S., UK, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, South Africa) supported the launch. To top it off, Union turned her back on the world-famous Vanity Fair Oscars Party red carpet.

Our multi-channel campaign including online, out of home and print, kicked off with 68 influencers including actor Gabrielle Union posting #TurnYourBack within days of Bold Glamour going viral. Their posts garnered 54M video views, 567K+ engagements, with an 83% positive sentiment rate. Additional posts with paid amplification doubled that to 1M+. Despite having no out of home media space reserved, 25 megascreens in key locations went live within a week.  

#TurnYourBack reached 1B+ from 174 pieces of earned coverage including Women's Health, WWD, PopSugar, and Vanity Fair Italia. 71% of these pieces included Dove in the title and 100% included at least one key campaign message.  

The campaign also drove leading influencer agency Gleam to condemn the Bold Glamour filter and update its influencer editing policies. #TurnYourBack strengthened Dove’s leadership as advocates for real beauty and self-esteem, which increased brand consideration and purchase intent in the UK and US.