Girl Scouts Website Launches New Self-Esteem Videos
Videos Feature “Plus-Size” Models To Promote Healthy Body Image
Many large companies and organizations have begun to harness the power of viral video to get their messages across. Launching a digital video transfer into the wide open world of the Web can be a surprisingly effective means of advertisement; as these videos get shared through email and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, they can eventually reach millions of viewers, and they do it without the high cost of television spots and traditional advertising methods. The newest member of the viral video club is the iconic Girl Scouts organization, which has created a series of videos designed to battle against poor body image and low self esteem in girls of all ages.
The new series of videos, entitled “The Changing Face of Fashion,” is intended to help girls achieve personal empowerment through improved self esteem and the cultivation of inner beauty. The videos were created in conjunction with the Girl Scouts’ self esteem program “Uniquely Me!”, which was created in 2002 to address the significant problem of low self-esteem among adolescent and pre-adolescent girls in the United States. The Uniquely Me program was the result of a partnership with Dove Self-Esteem Fund, in which the two organizations developed a set of skill-building activity booklets designed to foster self esteem by helping girls prepare themselves to face life’s challenges. Included are activities about handling peer pressure, developing healthy eating habits and exercise routines, personal hygiene and general wellness, recognizing one’s strengths and best attributes, dealing with stress, and identifying core values.
The new viral video series represents a technological leap forward for the Girl Scouts’ self-esteem initiative, and the organization hopes that the videos will add a new element to its efforts. The videos feature four “plus-sized” models (from the Wilhelmina Curve agency) telling personal stories about their various significant life experiences. While these “plus-size” models are certainly healthier body-image role models than the rail-thin fashion models that bombard young girls from the pages of magazines, it is worth noting that none of them appears to be larger than a size 8 or 10.
Directed and shot by lifestyle and beauty photographer Cathrine Westergaard, “The Changing Face of Fashion” represents part of a current initiative to address the image of young girls (especially ages 8-17) in the media. To view the digital video transfers on the Girl Scouts website, visit http://www.girlscouts.org/itsyourstory/.
