How many times have you said “I’m fine” when really you were feeling quite the opposite but unable to express your emotions and thoughts? It’s happened to all of us at least once in our lives and it’s a behaviour that we pick up as kids.
As a part of Dove’s Self Esteem Project, they’ve partnered with Ogilvy U.K., Cartoon Network and the animated series, Steven Universe to create a series of part live-action, part animated films that deconstruct the apathetic phrase “I’m Fine”.
What it’s about
The films explore the insecurities and worries of teenage girls and aim to educate and promote body positivity and self-confidence. Dove says they want to help “young girls understand that being themselves feels better than trying to fit in.”
The shorts begin as a live-action sequence of the teenagers interacting with their family at home with their parents asking how their day was. An animation then floods the screen and the girls are transformed into avatars of themselves, in a landscape where their hopes and fears are visualised as animated metaphors.
The girls rap their inner thoughts over each cartoon in their local language. In the first video, we see Nesida in New York voice her thoughts on everything from her hairstyle to the pressures to conform to a particular identity.
Why it matters
It can often be hard to put your scrambled thoughts into words and the accompaniment of the animation really helps to guide the viewer through Nesida’s monologue. The increasing pace adds urgency and gives a feeling of being overwhelmed, the same way in which Nesida feels with the standards she feels are needed to succeed in high school.
According to data from the NHS, there’s been a 68% rise in hospital admissions because of self-harm among girls under 17 in the past decade. Such startling figures show why brands need to take it upon themselves to empower young women and offer them advertising that appropriately reflects reality, as opposed to fueling the fire of unrealistic standards. It’s campaigning such as this that let young girls know they’re not alone in the struggles and teaches them coping mechanisms.
Overall a great move from Dove for helping kids learn to deal with the traditional challenges of growing up and navigating the minefields of social media.
The brains behind it:
Agency: Ogilvy
Client: Dove
Client brand team: Sophie Galvani, Dinara Bekmansurova, Hannah Burns
Executive creative directors: Andre Laurentino, Gerald Lewis
Creative team: Matt Nankivell, Vik Kanyo, Ollie Jarrott
TV producer: Lora Jane Brisland
Print producer: Chloe Jahanshahi
Account team: Cathy Sadiner, Sam Pierce, Georgie Howard, Carmen Vicente Soto
Strategy team: Sandy Thompson, Joshua Crost
TV production company: Sweetshop
Director: Andrew Lang
Producer: Justin Edmund-White
Animation director: Frankie Swan Picasso
Animation producer: Melissa Venet
