Dove announces a two-year global partnership with Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe to educate young people on body confidence through the cartoon’s themes of inclusivity and empowerment.
This pioneering collaboration comes from the “Dove Self-Esteem Project,” which has been helping young people build self-esteem and body confidence through educational programmes since 2004.
The project is based on the knowledge that over half of girls do not have high body confidence, leading them to avoid spending time with friends and family, put their health at risk and opt-out of important life events. The “Dove Self-Esteem Project” exists in 140 countries around the world and is committed to reaching 40 million young people by 2020 through its existing educational programmes; and with the help of Steven Universe, will now reach 20 million more, including in Asia Pacific.
Using a public health intervention model, the “Dove Self-Esteem Project” will expand beyond structured workshops delivered by adults to taking educational content direct to young people on a scale never-seen before. And in the case of the project’s partnership with Cartoon Network, this will be Steven Universe’s young viewers to positively impact their self-esteem and body confidence.
“It has always been important to us that our content resonates with our audience and empowers them,” says Christina Miller, president Cartoon Network.
The partnership will come to life in a series of six short animated films directed by Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar, the first of which premiered recently in the US and in the Philippines on April 23.
Working with the “Dove Self-Esteem Project,” all content has been carefully co-created and grounded in scientific evidence by body image expert, Dr Phillippa Diedrichs at the Center for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England, in order to make a meaningful impact on a young person’s self-esteem and body confidence.
Critically acclaimed, Steven Universe is the first animated series on Cartoon Network to be created by a woman.
