Meet Ruby.
She’s BANNED.
This brilliant campaign by The Body Shop was developed as part of a three part series to help promote self esteem and empower women.
“Ruby is an element of a three-part campaign with self-esteem motifs from Body Shop International. After the focus in September on body image, Ms. Galanti said, October will be devoted to ”self-esteem and activism,” in the form of a promotion to sell whistles that symbolize what a coming print ad calls ”the urgent need to stop violence against women.” And in November, Ms. Galanti said, the focus will be ”self-esteem and aging — wrinkles.”
- New York Times “The Body Shop’s campaign offers reality, not miracles.”
When Mattel got word of this campagin the sent a cease and desist letter to The Body Shop, putting the brakes on this groundbreaking advertisement.
Ruby was banned in 1998!
I don’t know what’s more disturbing: Ruby being banned or that a big deal is being made of it only NOW!
Has it really taken 13 years for us women to get infuriated about this enough to make it go viral? Have we endured 13 years of “you should look like this” ads needlessly?
While I doubt the viral rage that is forming now will do much of anything to bring Ruby back, it does bring to the forefront of our minds how we are still being targeted to buy X product to feel better about ourselves.
I say ROCK ON Body Shop.
ROCK ON Dove and your “real beauty” campaign.
Standing up for me makes me want to support you. Genius.
