Brand MarketingCVS Will Stop Altering Beauty Images in Stores and OnlineIt also plans to be more transparent when other brands alter imagesBy Katie Richards|January 16, 2018CVS Pharmacy created a watermark to show when a photo has not been altered.CVSShareBy Katie Richards|January 16, 2018ShareCVS Health announced a major plan to stop altering beauty-related images featured on CVS Pharmacy products or in CVS marketing online and in stores.“As a woman, mother and president of a retail business whose customers predominantly are women, I realize we have a responsibility to think about the messages we send to the customers we reach each day,” Helena Foulkes, president of CVS Pharmacy and evp, CVS Health, said in a statement. “The connection between the propagation of unrealistic body images and negative health effects, especially in girls and young women, has been established. As a purpose-led company, we strive to do our best to assure all of the messages we are sending to our customers reflect our purpose of helping people on their path to better health.”Products CVS carries from other brands will also be part of the initiative. It’s all part of the company’s plan to be radically more transparent when it comes to beauty marketing. CVS worked with Endeavor Global Marketing, the cultural marketing agency within the Endeavor network, on the project.Images from other brands that have not been digitally altered will have a “CVS Beauty Mark” somewhere on the image. Those that have been altered will not carry the watermark. CVS Pharmacy will classify altered images as those that have changed or enhanced “a person’s shape, size, proportion, skin or eye color, wrinkles or any other individual characteristics,” according to the brand. That process will begin immediately, with plans to have it completed by the end of 2020.Foulkes noted that many of CVS Pharmacy’s beauty brand partners have been fully supportive of the move so far, as many of them “are already thinking about this important issue.”“We’ve been inspired by their willingness to partner with us to redefine industry standards around this important issue for the wellbeing of all of our customers,” she said.CVS also partnered with nonprofit Girls Inc. on the project.“Allowing diversity and natural beauty to shine will have an immensely positive impact on girls and women everywhere,” Judy Vredenburgh, president and CEO of Girls Inc., said in a statement. Adweek Adweek