Daria and Gracie challenge decades of advertising norms that equate sex appeal with success. Tracing the harmful impact of oversexualised imagery, they reveal how body image, mental health, and identity have been distorted by outdated marketing strategies. But there’s hope: brands embracing authenticity and diversity are not only creating healthier messages - they’re thriving. This is a call to rethink what we sell, how we sell it, and what that says about us.Gracie Beadling is 3rd year BA Photography student at the University of Lincoln. She is a freelance photographer who also runs a Lincoln-based student magazine focusing on art, fashion and photography with interviews with giants of the world of arts from all over. Gracie specialises in historical photography, ranging from the 1880s to the 1950s, and she has done independent projects on advertising throughout Western history.Daria Chyzhyk is a third-year BA Photography student at the University of Lincoln. As a freelance photographer, she hones her skills by studying the advertising industry and exploring the challenges of gender representation in everyday media. Daria spent six months in Germany as an Erasmus exchange student, where she studied Media Management and worked as a backstage photographer, further enriching her international experience. Before studying at Lincoln, she earned an online degree in Advertising and Public Relations from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in 2022. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx