Talent Management has just come across additional research, released late last year, that strengthens the agency’s long-established argument that real, realatable and natural models are good for business.

According to research published by advertising think tank Credos, over three quarters (76%) of young women would prefer models in ads aimed at them to appear un-airbrushed.

The report, named ‘Pretty as a Picture’ – a year’s study into young women, advertising and airbrushing – also found that over a third (35%) of young women describe a natural image of a model as ‘beautiful’.

Karen Fraser, Director of Credos, said: “We discovered that girls and young women have a strong preference for images which have not been heavily altered, and are in fact less trusting of brands which use airbrushed pictures. This has important implications for brands and advertising agencies alike.”

The report went on to reveal that 84% of young women understand what the term ‘airbrushing’ means, and that there are potential benefits available to brands, which advertise using natural imagery.

Credos presented its findings to brands, agencies and politicians involved in the debate around body confidence, and Lynne Featherstone, Minister for Equalities, said that the report demonstrates girls want to see more realistic images in advertising that they can identify with. “I hope the industry responds positively to the findings of this report and works towards using more realistic images to advertise products,” she said.

Tim Lefroy, Chief Executive of the Advertising Association, added: “This is an essential piece of research for the advertising industry, and the responses we’ve had from major brands such as Boots and Procter & Gamble show our industry is listening. Advertisers are always looking for the best ways to appeal to consumers, and this new research from Credos shows natural images are an effective way to speak to young women.”

Credos’ report comes after a study of consumer behaviour was released earlier last year by Ben Barry, Phd Graduate of the Judge Business School, Cambridge University. On a similar level, his research found that over 90% of women between 40-65 years old had “increased purchase intentions for a fashion product when the advertisement featured models reflecting their age and size”.

With studies of this nature revealing shocking statistics, Talent Management hopes that the industry will take note and not only embrace diversity in the models that they choose, but also avoid confidence-knocking post-production techniques.