This year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is already rocking the status quo. We know the glossy will feature sexy shots of Final Five gymnasts Aly Raisman and Simone Biles. We also learned that the mag would feature 63-year-old supermodel Christie Brinkley. But it's not just the editorials that are embracing change. The issue's ads are showing body positivity in a whole new way.
For the second year, Lane Bryant is running ads for its Cacique swim line. This time, it features plus-size model Denise Bidot wearing a nautical two-piece bikini. In the un-retouched images, Bidot's curves are full display — and so are her stretch marks. It's an image goes beyond including a plus-size model. The fact that the pictures show what many people believe to be flaws and actually highlights them is a powerful testament to what brands such as Lane Bryant stand for and how they are going against dated notions of "beach bodies."
"My confidence inspired by #ThisBody," the ad reads.
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"We at Lane Bryant simply believe that all women should be seen and celebrated as they are," Brian Beitler, CMO and EVP of marketing for Lane Bryant, said to The Huffington Post. "Society and the media continuously project an unrealistic and frankly out-dated beauty and body standard."
Bidot posted a second image from the campaign to her own Instagram. She captioned the image, "Thank you @lanebryant for loving my body, stretch marks and all."
This all points to an issue that goes beyond eye candy for guys looking for bikini-clad babes. Instead of fodder for teenage fantasies, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is becoming a platform for positive change.