If you are a brand investing in social channels and building a healthier, safer media culture is not currently on your agenda you may well be in the wrong job.

The uncomfortable truth is we don’t yet fully understand the extent of the damaging impact on self-esteem that filters which set unachievable and unrealistic beauty standards are set to have on vulnerable young people. However, it is crystal clear that any negative impact is simply too big to ignore.

This is what makes Gleam Futures' creator-led campaign against AI beauty filters such a powerful and necessary campaign.

The group, with a combined following of millions, includes Gemma Styles, Adele Roberts, Emily Norris, Anna Whitehouse (AKA Mother Pukka), Poppy Deyes, Clair and James Buckley, Paula Sutton, Kat Farmer and Grace Victory. The creators have also signed up to a manifesto agreeing not to use beauty filters.

Filters which digitally alter your face such as Facetune, Perfect365 or TikTok’s AI filter Bold Glamour which has racked up nearly 1bn views since its February launch - will be banned across the influencers' social media content.   

A nationwide out of home, digital and social campaign by Dentsu Creative supports the campaign and a dedicated website and manifesto has also been created.

The campaign urges everyone to ‘Be a Bold Influence’. It celebrates ‘8 billion versions of beautiful’, ‘self love in every shape and size’, ‘texture, fine lines, pimples and dimples’ and champions ‘leaving the planet better than when we started’ and ‘creating a world of the mentally healthy’. 

The Gleam manifesto, which the group is actively encouraging all creators to join as of this week, urges creators to hold their account to account, and not post any content that promotes distorted or misleading beauty standards. All newly-signed Gleam Futures talent will be asked to sign up as the agency looks to build a more sustainable and ethical creator industry. 

As part of the campaign, the group is demanding the Government bring the upcoming Online Safety Bill in line with sweeping measures introduced in countries such as Norway where creators must label retouched photos, as well as France which is also demanding video labelling.  Specifically, the group wants the Bill expanded to label beauty filters as ‘harmful content’ and require use of a #filtered hashtag wherever beauty filtering is present.

Melanie Kentish, the progressive Managing Partner at Gleam Futures, believes the future of influencer marketing is rooted in making a positive difference. As this campaign underlines this stance is more than just an agency positioning statement; it is a commitment to tackling the most challenging aspects of social culture.

She explains: “With great influence comes great responsibility. Young people are unwitting subjects in a social experiment changing the way we form our identities, represent ourselves and relate to others. It’s all happening without any safety net in place while the AI tech snowballs at a relentless pace. We’re stepping up and encouraging our industry peers in talent management to follow suit, but the Government needs to act decisively or face a worsening mental health crisis. We need to create a safer digital space for future generations to come.” 

“As tech advances the pressure to be digitally ‘perfect’ at such a young age has fuelled a self-worth crisis,” adds Anna Whitehouse. “So many teenagers - young girls especially - are using filters to sharpen, shrink, enhance and recolour their faces and bodies. Both the Government and creators have a clear responsibility to effectively legislate and be responsible role models, respectively. What we post matters and as creators we have to take a stand.” 

She adds: “The legislative measures France and Norway have taken to protect kids has to be the absolute minimum requirement for the UK Government. We’re all hoping our politicians take the opportunity to show true global leadership here. Gleam’s campaign is a timely reminder of our responsibilities and duty of care.” 

A powerful campaign which provides a timely reminder of the role of agencies in not just supporting brands to navigate social culture, but their ability to take a positive stand to challenge pervasive and toxic trends.