We’re bringing Real Beauty to the virtual world

Key Takeaways

• Gaming's Impact on Girls: Gaming is a top entertainment for teen girls, yet it often lacks diverse representation, affecting their self-esteem.
• Unrealistic Beauty Standards: Research shows unrealistic beauty standards in gaming misrepresent girl gamers, with many wishing for more realistic female characters.
• Real Virtual Beauty Initiative: Dove's "Real Virtual Beauty" initiative partners with Epic Games and Women in Games to train creators, fostering broader representation of women in gaming.
• Super U Story on Roblox: The "Super U Story" game on Roblox, developed with the Dove Youth Board, helps young girls build body positivity and combat negative self-esteem in a virtual world.
• Transforming Gaming: Dove is committed to transforming gaming into a positive, diverse, and inclusive virtual space, empowering women and girls with self-esteem tools.

“So often, female characters in games play into a narrow, stereotypical representation of beauty, or are heavily sexualised – and it’s affecting women and girls’ self-esteem.”

For over 60 years, Dove has championed Real Beauty. Since 2004, the Dove Self-Esteem Project (DSEP) has become the largest-self esteem education provider in the world, working to build body confidence in the next generation. By 2030, we will have helped ¼ million people build a positive body image. 

Introducing Real Virtual Beauty 

Dove is partnering with gaming industry allies to level up the gaming world with the global launch of Real Virtual Beauty, a series of commitments challenging female representation in video games. 

Together with our partners – Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and Women in Games, we’ll work to train game creators, developers and artists all around the world to create a broader representation of women in gaming and to help reflect the diversity we see in everyday life.

As a result of this training, participants will have the opportunity to showcase their work through the Real Virtual Beauty character art collection – hosted on Art Station, curated by Dove, and dedicated to broadening female representation in video games. To celebrate those who are participating in more creative ways to express individuality in the virtual world, we’ll deliver a series of grants and awards to the best Real Virtual Beauty collection creators - helping to fund and expand their work further. 

Super U Story, now on Roblox 

In partnership with female-led gaming studio Toya, the Dove Youth Board and experts from CAR, we’ve created the world’s first video game specifically designed to equip young girls with the tools they need to help combat negative self-esteem and build body positivity for teens.

Super U Story offers a first-of-its-kind, educational gaming experience that helps users to be their true selves, instead of aspiring to unrealistic beauty standards and gaming ideals. The game takes place in ‘The Academy’, a school for kids with superpowers that’s under siege by a group of rogue students spreading negativity. 

Players can customise their avatars to experience a more realistic version of beauty, team up with friends to explore The Academy, earn power-ups, and complete quests. 
 

Let’s change representation in gaming

We want to lead the way in transforming gaming into a positive place for women and girls. Together, we can help give girls the tools they need to build self-esteem, and ensure the virtual world is a diverse and inclusive place for everyone. 

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• about dove
• brand mission
• real beauty
• representation
• self care

Empowering Real Beauty in the Virtual World

Dove is actively transforming the gaming landscape, ensuring it becomes a positive and inclusive space for women and girls. Through strategic partnerships and innovative initiatives like Real Virtual Beauty and Super U Story, we are directly addressing unrealistic beauty standards and fostering body confidence. Our commitment extends to empowering the next generation with vital self-esteem education, making the virtual world a true reflection of diverse beauty.

Frequently Asked Questions