Innovation Case Study: #Filtered Body Image Project
Greater Dandenong City Council
Media Literacy for Body Positivity
#Filtered: The Body Image Project is a youth-led social media campaign by Greater Dandenong City Council, co-designed with Killester College students and supported by the Butterfly Foundation and Chisholm Institute. Running from Nov 2023 to Dec 2024, it educates young people — especially young women — on social media’s impact on body image, reaching 15,000+ and boosting awareness of support resources for 94% of participants surveyed.
2025 MAVlab Innovation Awards Winner:
The Wellbeing Award for Community Health Impacts, supported by VicHealth.
Project statistics:
- 4 council staff collaborating with partners and students
- Project partners: Butterfly Foundation, Killester College and Chisholm Institute
- 150 Killester College students engaged (including a smaller working group of 30)
- Project duration: November 2023 – December 2024 (14 months)
- Project launch: October to December 2024 with campaign launch, promotion and dissemination.
Project goals:
- Increase awareness of appearance ideals among young people
- Build young people’s capacity to lead change on issues affecting body image
- Challenge stereotypes related to appearance and body image
- Empower youth to critically assess online content
- Help youth recognise the difference between authentic imagery and digitally altered content
- And address the harmful impact of social media on body image, especially for young women.
Challenge and context:
The #Filtered Body Image project was developed in response to growing concerns among young people in Greater Dandenong about the negative impact of social media on body image. Consultations, including the 2022 Youth Summit, highlighted that increased screen time and social isolation during COVID-19 had intensified harmful “toxic comparison” behaviours, particularly among young women. Students transitioning to secondary school during remote learning were especially vulnerable to extended exposure to curated, unrealistic online content.
Key challenges included:
- Time constraints: Delivering the project within a 14-month window (Nov 2023–Dec 2024) required efficient coordination across schools, partners, and council teams.
- Stakeholder engagement: Building trust and meaningful collaboration with schools, students, and community partners was essential. The project paused until the right partners were secured to ensure quality and commitment.
- Cultural diversity: Messaging needed to reflect Greater Dandenong’s multicultural community and avoid a one-size-fits-all Western perspective on beauty and body image.
- Youth participation: Genuine co-design with young people, rather than token consultation, was critical, including capacity-building in media literacy and campaign development.
- Gender inclusivity: While led by young women, young men from Chisholm Institute were also engaged to ensure broader appeal and inclusivity.
The project adopted an innovative, youth-led, and culturally responsive approach, empowering young people to become peer educators and advocates for positive change.
Solution and innovation:
The #Filtered: Body Image Project was a bold, youth-led initiative addressing the harmful impact of social media on body image. Its innovative co-design model placed young people — not just as participants, but as creators and leaders — at the heart of the solution.
Following rising body image concerns post-pandemic, the project began with workshops delivered by the Butterfly Foundation to 150 Year 8 students at Killester College. From this cohort, 30 students joined the co-design team, receiving media literacy and campaign development training. Their insights shaped the campaign’s messaging, which was visually realised by Year 11 Vocational Major design students from Chisholm Institute, fostering cross-sector collaboration and real-world learning.
Unlike traditional top-down campaigns, #Filtered empowered young people to speak to their peers in their own voice, using platforms and formats they engage with daily. The campaign reached all secondary schools in Greater Dandenong and was amplified through council channels, reaching over 15,000 people.
Accessibility and inclusivity were embedded throughout. Campaign messaging reflected Greater Dandenong’s cultural diversity, included young men to broaden appeal, and materials were designed to be visually inclusive and linguistically accessible.
This approach demonstrates how genuine youth participation, cross-functional collaboration, and culturally responsive design can deliver impactful, sustainable outcomes. #Filtered is more than a campaign — it’s a blueprint for councils to authentically engage young people on complex social issues.
...participants’ knowledge of body confidence resources rose from 40% to 94%, and 81% of attendees at the Young Women’s Gala Day reported increased understanding of social media’s impact on body image and mental health.
Impact and outcomes:
The #Filtered campaign has delivered significant and measurable outcomes, with over 165 young people directly upskilled through workshops, co-design sessions, and campaign development, gaining media literacy and advocacy skills. The campaign reached over 15,000 people via Instagram, Facebook, council channels, and school networks.
Evaluation surveys showed a dramatic increase in awareness: participants’ knowledge of body confidence resources rose from 40% to 94%, and 81% of attendees at the Young Women’s Gala Day reported increased understanding of social media’s impact on body image and mental health.
The campaign’s inclusive design ensured accessibility for Greater Dandenong’s culturally diverse youth. Participants highlighted the benefits of the approach, including learning to value their bodies for what they can do rather than how they look, avoiding comparisons with influencers, and appreciating authentic representation. A parent of a 16-year-old with vitiligo noted that the campaign imagery was “really helpful” and meaningful.
#Filtered’s legacy is maintained through ongoing integration into Youth and Family Services workshops, school programs, and community events. The toolkit and collateral are freely shared with other councils and organisations, extending its impact statewide. The campaign has surpassed its original goals, demonstrating the adaptability and replicability of an inclusive, youth-led model for social change that continues to inform future initiatives.
Scalability:
The #Filtered campaign is more than a successful local initiative — it is a replicable model for inclusive, youth-led social change. Its strength lies in its low-cost, modular design and collaborative approach, making it ideal for councils and community networks.
Developed by Greater Dandenong City Council with Year 8 students from Killester College, and supported by the Butterfly Foundation and Chisholm Institute, the project combines co-designed campaigns, expert-led workshops, and a media literacy toolkit. These resources are adaptable and have been shared with 389 youth-focused organisations via the Youth Participation Practice Network (YPPN), with uptake across Victoria. The toolkit is freely available on the Council’s website for use in schools, youth services, and community programs.
Internally, the model is being applied to other youth issues identified through consultation, demonstrating its versatility. Councils can embed the approach into existing youth engagement strategies, leveraging partnerships with schools, vocational institutions, and advocacy groups.
The campaign also supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing — #Filtered promotes mental health by addressing the impact of social media on body image, helping young people critically evaluate online content and reduce risks of anxiety and eating disorders. 94% of participants reported improved awareness of support resources.
- Goal 5: Gender Equality — The initiative empowers young women to lead conversations around body image, fostering leadership and equity in diverse communities.
What sets #Filtered apart is its authentic youth participation and culturally responsive design. By adopting and adapting the model, councils can amplify youth voices, challenge harmful norms, and promote wellbeing across communities. The project’s impact has been recognised through finalist status at the LGPRO Awards and a win at the Chisholm Institute Education Awards.