The increase in plus size women (and men) being used in advertisements for major brands isn’t just a way for brands to say, “hey we see you, real people, and we can prove it.” Plus size models aren’t merely a way of brands ingratiating themselves with consumers who aren’t rail thin either. There is actually scientific evidence that plus size imagery has a positive effect on the psyches of women who wish they were thinner — and that group remains, despite all the push for body acceptance, a large segment of the population. Scientifically these women are classified as having “actual-ideal self-discrepancy.” The study, by Florida State University researchers, showed that women in this group felt better when they viewed plus size imagery compared to more traditional, skinnier model photography.
Brands have a tough job to do: they want customers to feel good about themselves — they want to appear accepting — while also wanting consumers to aspire to want something more. But if positive emotional associations with a brand are the ultimate goal in today’s personalized consumer economy, then using the images that create the strongest positive reaction is a plus, so to speak, that Madison Avenue won’t ignore.
Popular Plus Size Model Olivia Campbell: