R29's "The 67% Project" Increases Body Visibility

Body positivity might be a buzzword these days, but the lack of inclusive size representation in media is still ever-present. That disparity inspired Refinery29 to launch The 67% Project on Sept. 26, a media-focused interactive campaign to increase the amount of body types people see.

"Most American women are plus size, but they make up less than 2% of the images we see. We want to change that," Refinery29 posted on their website. "Beginning today, we are breaking the plus size woman out of the niche and into the mainstream. During the launch week, 67% of the bodies you see on our site, in our newsletter, and on our social platforms will be plus-size. To do this, we’ve made significant changes within Refinery29 to fully represent the 67% this week, and beyond."

According to their report, only two percent of the media's images show women over a size 14, but 67 percent of American women are a size 14 or higher. The campaign also includes eye-opening information on why more representation is necessary.

"Here’s a term to get familiar with: unconscious bias," Refinery29 wrote. "This is not the overt prejudice you see in the headlines but the language in between the lines. Not showing the 67% in normalized ways has real consequences: Plus size women earn less and are more vulnerable to discrimination. That’s why we need to see more of you on our site (so show us!)."

To further spread their message, Refinery29 collaborated with Getty Images, Lane Bryant, and aerie (adding all of these here since the release seems to imply they're all co-sponsors) to provide stock images of plus size women available for purchase for editorial use. The collection of 471 images are intended to increase the amount of diverse imagery being circulated around the web at any given time. The site also teamed up with actor Danielle Brooks, who will serve as guest creative director throughout the campaign and contribute her insights from living life as a plus size woman.

For those who want to participate in their own way, Refinery29 created a hashtag, #SeeThe67, with the hopes of creating a viral statement that will, according to the website, "Demand media feature women of all sizes, from all races and backgrounds, with equal representation." Refinery29 encourages everyone to be the representation they wish to see in the world by taking their own photos and sharing them with the hashtag.

In a press statement about the campaign, Refinery29 quoted a Yale research paper that found the U.S. has seen a 66 percent increase in weight bias over the past 10 years. Refinery29 hopes to tackle this issue through positive representation and a continued push to see truly diverse across all media.

Images: Courtesy of Refinery29