Curvy Kate/ #ApplaudAndReward

Most of us are self-critical in some shape or form. No matter what aspect of our lives it may be, there’s always something we wish we could be better at. Recently, social media has given rise to ‘body confidence’ images, seeing people share their bodies just the way they are. However, traditional media still tends to celebrate the ‘ideal body’ and shame those that don’t conform. So, when summer holidays are on the horizon, a time that should be a build-up of excitement for warmth, vitamin D and being able to go out without a jacket on, it's instead a time of anxiety for women, looking at themselves and wondering why they don’t look like a Kardashian. Those ‘imperfections’ with our bodies we are hung up on will be out on show, giving us even more opportunity to self-criticise when we look in the mirror.

But when we see our friends on the beach would we give them the same disapproval? Of course not, we would say they look great and encourage them to be confident in themselves because we think they are amazing. This idea is tapped in lingerie brand Curvy Kate’s latest campaign. Running under the tagline ‘ApplaudAndReward’, a two-minute-15-second film interviews a series of women who firstly answer the question of what their personal body hang ups are. We see the women criticise parts of themselves such as their legs, bum, ‘third tummy’, ‘back fat’ and stretchmarks. Secondly, we see the same women divulge what they think of their best friend and their body, showering them with positive complements – ‘amazing’, ‘beautiful’, ‘great boobs’, ‘stunning’, ‘gorgeous’ – implying that we should treat our bodies the way we treat others.

In a twist at the end of the film, we learn that the women being individually interviewed are the corresponding best friends spoken about by their fellow participants. Each woman faces their best friend and takes off a robe to reveal their bodies in all their glory - as well as showcase the Curvy Kate lingerie they are wearing. On-screen text suggests ‘maybe it’s time you should see yourself through the eyes of someone who loves you. Where you see flaws, they see beauty.’ The end of the spot encourages viewers to ‘Share the Love’, by posting on social media what they love about their best friends under the hashtag #ApplaudAndReward, for a chance to win Curvy Kate lingerie for them and a friend.

The promo video is supported by profiles on the stars of the campaign on the brand’s website, which see the women discuss their personal experiences as well as their opinions of their bodies before and after the Curvy Kate shoot. The campaign was also pushed across social media, with Curvy Kate’s official pages posting images from the campaign.

Curvy Kate picked a perfect time and media channel for this work, joining the body positivity movement that is sweeping across social media just as it is gaining momentum. Despite its success as a plus-size lingerie brand, aligning itself with this wider movement will see it reach a much larger audience – a whole population of ordinary women who will be loving, or learning to love, their bodies.