We’re bringing Real Beauty to the virtual world

Dove is partnering with gaming industry allies to help level up the virtual world. We're increasing representation and diversity in gaming for women and girls, reaching them with vital self-esteem education.

Gaming is now the top entertainment for US teen girls, with 83% playing video games in their spare time, 60% starting before age 10. Beyond stress relief and brain stimulation, gaming offers therapeutic benefits, allowing women and girls to connect, build communities, and express their true selves.

However, diverse representation of women and girls in gaming falls short. New research from Dove, co-published with the NGO Women in Games and the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR), reveals that unrealistic beauty standards in the gaming industry misrepresent girl gamers. Girls agree on this inclusivity issue: 74% wish female characters looked more like real women, and 62% of women feel misrepresented. Together, we can transform gaming to reflect the diverse gamers who play.

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. 

How we’re making virtual beauty real

Dove is levelling up Real Beauty with a series of commitments to improve the representation of beauty in gaming.

Explore More How we’re making virtual beauty real

Dove on Roblox: Super U Story

We’ve launched a first-of-its-kind gaming experience to help make gaming a positive space for girls.

Discover more Dove on Roblox: Super U Story

TAGS:

Related articles

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

Gaming is the number one entertainment for teen girls, yet research shows unrealistic beauty standards in the industry misrepresent them, negatively impacting self-esteem. Dove aims to address this lack of diverse representation.

Real Virtual Beauty is a global initiative by Dove, in partnership with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and Women in Games. It challenges female representation in video games by training creators to develop more diverse and realistic characters.

Super U Story is the world’s first video game designed to equip young girls with tools to combat negative self-esteem and build body positivity. Players can customise avatars for realistic beauty and engage in quests that promote self-acceptance.

Dove partners with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, Women in Games, female-led gaming studio Toya, the Dove Youth Board, and experts from the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) to drive this mission.