CVS Pharmacy, the American retail and healthcare company, announced their plan on January 15th, 2018 to end all photo manipulation used on its advertising for beauty products by 2020.
Helena Foulkes, CVS Pharmacy President, made the official announcement at the National Retail Federation’s convention in New York.
“As a woman, mother and president of a retail business whose customers predominantly are women, I realize we have a responsibility to think about the messages we send to the customers we reach each day,” said Foulkes.
She addressed the dangers of consuming post-production alterations of beauty imagery through different forms of media.
“The connection between the propagation of unrealistic body images and negative health effects, especially in girls and young women, has been established,” continued Foulkes. “As a purpose-led company, we strive to do our best to assure all of the messages we are sending to our customers reflect our purpose of helping people on their path to better health.”
The company intends to introduce a “CVS Beauty Mark” this year to mark company-produced photos that are not materially altered.
“Materially altered is defined as changing or enhancing a person’s shape, size, proportion, skin or eye color, wrinkles or any other individual characteristics,” according to their press release.
The watermark represents CVS Pharmacy’s goal to ensure transparency for beauty imagery. The company will be working with key brand partners and industry experts to further develop specific guidelines.
CVS Pharmacy will also place an icon with a “digitally modified” warning on any advertisements from other suppliers that do not comply with their goals. Their largest beauty suppliers include Maybelline, Covergirl and Revlon, according to USA TODAY.
Many of the company’s beauty brand partners continuously share their support of the company’s decision.
“Girls Inc. applauds CVS Pharmacy’s leadership commitment to showcase and celebrate beauty in all of its forms. As the national nonprofit dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, Girls Inc. is honored to be a partner in CVS Pharmacy’s movement to counter limiting stereotypes too often faced by girls and women,” said Judy Vredenburgh, Girls Inc. President and CEO in a press release.
Getty Images, a stock photo company, also announced a plan to ban photos of models with retouched body shapes in September 2017, according to newsweek.
To learn more about CVS Pharmacy’s new beauty initiative, check out their website!
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