Health and technology company Philips has signed a partnership extension with Hearst UK that will see the evolution of the Project Body Love campaign.

Launched in October 2020 and amplified by content from Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, Red and ELLE , Project Body Love has helped bolster female body confidence with the aim of changing the way women think, feel and speak about their bodies.

The campaign will kick off with a Project Body Love Weekender virtual event on 15-16 May, and later this year, by an augmented reality experience focused on wellness and body confidence.

Shannon Taylor, Senior Campaign and Media Manager, Philips, said: “Philips’ brand identity is all around telling rich, human stories that surprise audiences with the powerful ways our innovations can make a real difference to people’s lives. Hearst UK is an authentic partner being truly passionate themselves about improving the lives of women by creating and sharing positive body confidence stories. Working with Hearst has been wonderful because there is a genuine brand fit.”

To date, Project Body Love has helped facilitate a 10% increase in Philips’ preference rating as a women’s hair removal brand amongst consumers.

Shannon Taylor of Philips added: “This project also truly helps support our message that removing hair is a personal choice, and that we want to continue to inspire women to do what feels right for them and encourage others to do the same.”

The Project Body Love extension follows a year that saw Hearst UK’s branded partnership revenue rise by 12%, including a record 54% increase in Q4. A significant part of the latest Project Body Love strategy will be fuelled by online search and social listening, which will monitor emotional intelligence to establish the nation’s sentiment towards body positivity.

The Project Body Love partnership and campaign have been facilitated and planned by Dentsu agencies, The Story Lab and Carat UK.