Why Ogilvy Banning Influencers Who Edit Their Faces Or Bodies In Photos Is A Slippery Slope
Source: Ogilvy
Ogilvy UK has announced it will no longer work with influencers who distort or retouch their bodies or faces in the content they share on behalf of brands. The agency's position is part of its mission to combat the systematic mental health harms caused by social media.
How The Policy Will Work
Ogilvy plans to roll this policy out in two different phases. For phase one, it will consult with brands and creators for feedback on the policy, while it will implement the ban during phase two with the goal to end all edited content by December.
To make this all work, Ogilvy is committing to the following:
It will not work with any influencers who retouch their skin or bodies except for contrast or brightness edits
It will leverage technology to detect when images have been edited
It will use campaign briefs that allow for more flexibility
Is It The Right Approach?
As expected, Ogilvy’s approach is already receiving mixed reactions across social media. There are people that think it’s exactly what is needed for the influencer marketing industry and those who don’t agree with it at all. I personally fall somewhere in the middle. There’s no denying the negative impact that social media can have on people, especially on youth. Influencers and their perfectly curated feeds definitely share some of the blame due to the power that they have. But, taking a black and white approach in banning influencers that alter their bodies in their photos doesn’t feel like the right move for something that is as nuanced as this.
There’s a reason why influencers, women in particular, might alter their photos— they face a great deal of pressure to be perfect. Social media has become an extension of people’s identities. Ogilvy essentially telling influencers what they can or can’t do with photos of themselves is a slippery slope.
This approach might make an impact in eliminating the agency and its clients from running campaigns with these types of influencers, but it doesn’t get to the root of why people edit their bodies in photos. If something like this is going to be implemented, it also should be implemented across other relevant areas such as professional models. Magazines have a long history of editing the models that appear on their covers or even models who appear in brand photoshoots. Additionally, this approach should also apply to men who are influencers.
A Better Approach
Ogilvy has the right intentions, but their approach likely isn’t realistic or practical. Yes, it can leverage technology to detect photos that have been edited, but there are always going to be scenarios when the technology is inaccurate, leading to influencers missing out on opportunities and causing more harm.
Even more important is educating people, especially the younger generation on what social media is and what social media isn’t. Whenever someone edits their faces or bodies to be thinner isn’t necessarily the issue. It’s the way that it makes people feel. If there’s more education on how social media isn’t always a reflection of real life, then people may be able to better understand that everything they see shouldn’t be interpreted as true. On a similar note, there should also be a lot more discussion on why people may feel the need to edit their photos and come off as perfect or look their best. Most people wouldn’t take these measures if there wasn't society’s pressure to be perfect.
Although I don’t think the outright ban approach is the right approach, I do think that the UK’s Digitally Altered Body Image Bill, which if passed, would require influencers to disclose edited content, could be an effective solution. It would still allow people to show up however they want to on social media, while also providing transparency and helping to alleviate some of the negative feelings that perfect-looking photos may cause users.
