A social experiment conducted by Unilever brand Dove revealed that 80% of women feel anxious about the way they look. The study also highlighted how the right state of mind can unlock a feeling of beauty. The results are documented in the short film, "Dove: Patches."
During the experiment, psychologist and New York Times best-selling author Ann Kearney-Cooke, PhD, invited the participants to wear a custom-made “beauty patch” for two weeks and to keep a personal account of their experience throughout the period. In the end, all women agreed that wearing the patch helped to improve their self-esteem. However, it was then revealed that the patch contained nothing, highlighting the power of their belief.
“We have heard from thousands of women [about] how their complicated relationship with beauty affects their overall confidence and happiness,” said Jennifer Bremner, brand building director, skin cleansing, in a press statement. “By illustrating through the Dove: Patches film that a positive state of mind and openness can help them feel more beautiful, we hope to inspire all women and help change the way they see themselves.” The brand has set a goal of reaching 15 million young lives with self-esteem programming by the end of 2015, and has reached over 12 million to date.
