Secrets to Looking Great at Every Age

Would you pose nude on a billboard in the middle of Times Square? One 64-year-old grandmother did just that! The Dove Æ Pro-Age™ campaign — which is aimed at making women of all ages feel better about their appearances — features women over 50 years old in nothing but their birthday suits.

In October 2006, Dove put out the call for women in cities around the world — and in this audition, wrinkles, age spots and stretch marks were welcome. Some women were a little bashful, but others were ready to show the world their beauty! "I actually feel like I'm better looking now at 53 than I was at 23," says one woman.

The decision was tough, but after casting calls in cities around the world, the hopefuls were narrowed down. In the end, six women were picked to bare it all for the Pro-Age campaign.

Meet the grandma who bared it all!

When Mary, a 64-year-old grandmother of four, heard the news that she was going to appear nude on a billboard, she was so nervous she was shaking. Mary says she was embarrassed when she had to wear a bathing suit to the casting call, and now she was going to pose in her birthday suit!

"They actually showed me a picture of someone [posing nude], you know, very nicely, and they said, 'Would you do this?' And I — at first I said, 'Oh, you're kidding. Me? You want me to do that?'" Mary says. "They explained that everything would be in good taste."

Days later, Mary is whisked to New York City for her photo session with legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz. Finally, the moment of truth has arrived  it's time for Mary to take off her robe. And it doesn't take long for the grandma-turned-model to pose like a pro. "I feel like a nearly 65-year-old Cinderella!" Mary says.

The billboard is revealed.

After months of anticipation, Mary travels to New York City with three of her children and her 6-year-old grandson for the debut of her billboard in Times Square. "It's like a Cinderella story. At my age, here I am on Broadway," she says.

Mary says the whole experience was surreal. "You know, when you're a little girl, you think, 'Oh, I want to be a movie star,' and that's all a dream," she says. "I can't believe at my age that I have a picture of myself that really looks good in Times Square."

Mary wasn't the only over-50 woman to pose nude!

Wendy, Daniela, Athena and Mirenete were among the women who bared it all for the Dove Æ Pro-Age™ campaign. Not all of the models were enthusiastic about modeling in the nude at first — Daniela even backed out a few times before deciding to bare it all! But now, she says she is happy to be a part of the campaign.