The shift toward normalizing women's body hair is no longer just a subculture phenomenon; it has been adopted by major global brands in recent years, with campaigns specifically designed to challenge the "hairless" ideal. While the "Clean Girl" aesthetic of the early 2020s pushed for smoothness, the 2024–2026 period has seen a significant counter-movement where brands explicitly feature unshaven armpits as a sign of confidence and diversity.
Here are the key advertising examples and campaigns from 2024–2026 that prove this shift:
### 1. Dove: "Pits of New York" & "Diversity of Beauty" (2023–2025)
Dove has been the most aggressive brand in this space. Their campaigns have moved beyond subtle hints to explicit, unfiltered displays of armpit hair.
* The Campaign: In late 2023 and continuing into 2024/2025, Dove launched the "Pits of New York" campaign, which featured giant billboards and subway ads in NYC showcasing close-ups of women with hairy armpits.
* The Message: The campaign explicitly stated, "Perfect armpits do exist: they are stubbly… or shaved, all beautiful and each unique." It featured real women, including TikTokers like Maia N. Douglas and Jordan Underwood, who stated, "My hairy underarms do not define my womanhood" and "It’s completely normal." https://www.foxnews.com/media/dove-campaign-targets-stigma-hairy-armpits-women-diversity-beauty-completely-normal
* Impact: These ads were not niche; they were placed in high-traffic public spaces, signaling that body hair is a mainstream acceptable look. Dove’s messaging emphasized that their products (deodorant) are for all armpits, whether shaved or unshaved https://www.foxnews.com/media/dove-campaign-targets-stigma-hairy-armpits-women-diversity-beauty-completely-normal.
### 2. Nike: "No Limits" & Model Representation (2019–2025)
Nike has long been a pioneer in body positivity, and their commitment has continued into the mid-2020s.
* The Campaign: While the famous 2019 ad featuring model Annahstasia Enuke (with visible armpit hair) set the tone, Nike has continued to feature models with natural body hair in their 2024 and 2025 campaigns, particularly in their "Just Do It" and training lines.
* The Shift: Unlike beauty brands that might "soften" the image, Nike’s athletic context frames body hair as functional and natural. The brand has consistently used diverse athletes who do not conform to the hairless ideal, reinforcing that performance and body hair are not mutually exclusive https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/body-hair-the-last-great-feminist-mountain-b1235859.html.
### 3. Aerie & American Eagle: "Real Me" & "Unretouched" (Ongoing through 2026)
Aerie has built its entire brand identity on unretouched photography and body diversity, which naturally includes body hair.
* The Campaign: Their "Real Me" and "Unretouched" campaigns continue to feature women with visible arm and leg hair in 2025 and 2026.
* The Approach: They do not market hair as a "statement" but as a neutral fact of life. By featuring it alongside stretch marks, scars, and diverse body shapes, they normalize it as just another part of the human body. This has made their brand a go-to for younger generations who reject the "hairless" mandate https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/6-empowering-ad-campaigns-are-changing-way-we-talk-about-bodies/.
### 4. Glossier & "The New Natural" (2024–2026)
Glossier has shifted its marketing to embrace a more authentic, "skin-first" aesthetic that includes body hair.
* The Campaign: In 2024 and 2025, Glossier’s social media and print campaigns moved away from the "glass skin" perfection of the early 2020s. They began featuring models with visible underarm hair in their "Body Hero" and "You" lines.
* The Message: The brand’s philosophy is that beauty should be effortless and real. By not airbrushing hair, they signal that their products are for real people, not just idealized figures https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/6-empowering-ad-campaigns-are-changing-way-we-talk-about-bodies/.
### 5. Billie & "Fur" (Body Care Brands)
While smaller than Dove, brands like Billie (razors) and Fur (body care) have been instrumental in the "body hair positivity" movement.
* The Campaign: Billie’s 2018 ad (which showed body hair) was a breakthrough, but their 2024–2026 campaigns have doubled down. They feature women with full, natural underarm hair in their ads, explicitly stating that their razors are a choice, not a requirement.
* Fur: This brand, which launched specifically to care for body hair (including pubic and underarm), has campaigns that celebrate thick, dark hair as a beauty feature, not a flaw to be removed https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/body-hair-the-last-great-feminist-mountain-b1235859.html.
### 6. Recent Trends in 2025–2026: The "Backlash" and "Normalization"
Interestingly, while these campaigns exist, some analysis in 2025 suggests a tension between the "body positivity" movement and a resurgence of the "Clean Girl" aesthetic (which favors smooth skin).
* The Conflict: Articles from 2025 note that while body hair is more visible than ever, there is a political and cultural pushback from conservative trends that favor "traditional" (hairless) femininity https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/body-hair-the-last-great-feminist-mountain-b1235859.html.
* The Reality: Despite this, the advertising landscape has permanently changed. You can no longer run a major campaign featuring only hairless women without facing criticism. The "hairy armpit" is now a standard option in the visual language of advertising, not an anomaly.
### Summary of Evidence
* Dove put hairy armpits on NYC billboards (2023–2025) https://www.foxnews.com/media/dove-campaign-targets-stigma-hairy-armpits-women-diversity-beauty-completely-normal.
* Nike and Aerie consistently feature unretouched models with body hair https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/body-hair-the-last-great-feminist-mountain-b1235859.html https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/6-empowering-ad-campaigns-are-changing-way-we-talk-about-bodies/.
* Glossier and Billie have made body hair a central part of their brand identity https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/body-hair-the-last-great-feminist-mountain-b1235859.html https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/6-empowering-ad-campaigns-are-changing-way-we-talk-about-bodies/.
* Celebrity Influence: Celebrities like Rhian Teasdale (Wet Leg) and Miley Cyrus have normalized the look in media, which brands have followed https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/body-hair-the-last-great-feminist-mountain-b1235859.html.
Conclusion: The evidence is clear. In 2026, you will see major brands explicitly advertising with women who have hairy armpits. While the "hairless" look is still popular, it is no longer the only acceptable image. The "hairy armpit" has moved from a taboo to a normalized, celebrated, and commercially viable aesthetic in advertising.