Sweaty Betty champions body confidence with Wear the Damn Shorts campaign

UK – Sweaty Betty is back with a powerful new chapter of its Wear the Damn Shorts campaign, confronting women’s leg-related insecurities head-on. Research by the activewear brand reveals that only 16% of UK women feel confident wearing shorts while exercising, with just 15% of customers wearing them regularly. The campaign, created by Havas London, responds with a cinematic celebration of real legs highlighting varicose veins, cellulite and scars.  

‘The way society is making women feel again at the moment, with the whole weight-loss conversation, there’s just a lot out there that’s making women feel crap about themselves again,’ says Havas creative director and co-director Amy Fasey. 

Shot by all-female directing duo RIOT, the 30-second hero film and accompanying OOH campaign zoom in on legs as art, reclaiming so-called imperfections as beauty marks. With taglines like ‘Getting your legs out has no age limit’ and ‘These legs are made for flaunting’, the work calls on women to embrace their bodies and wear the damn shorts – unapologetically. 

Read our In our Body Hostility Era and Neozempic Futures reports to unpack the evolving conversation about body image, dieting and confidence, and how brands are strategically engaging with this shifting landscape.