MEDIA STUDIES 120MS. M. WUEST

Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

The Real Beauty Campaign

In 2004, Dove launched the very successful Campaign for Real Beauty which features real women, not models, advertising Dove's firming cream.

The advertisements focus on promoting real, natural beauty, in an effort to offset the unrealistically thin and unhealthy archetypal images associated with modelling.

The sentiment is articulated quite strongly through their slogan "real women have curves" as well as the campaign's Web site, which features quotes from each of the Campaign for Real Beauty models. The women share their perspectives on what real beauty is and why they wanted to be involved in the campaign.

The Campaign in Canada

In November 2005, casting agents representing Dove Canada were in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver to find a new group to participate in print and TV ads. The ads focus entirely on body image.

The second phase kicked-off with a television and cinema advertisement (aired during Superbowl XL) which featured Canadian girls and adolescents aged five through fourteen.

The girls share what they believe to be their own personal flaws. One dark-haired girl "wishes she were blonde." Another "thinks she's ugly." A red-haired girl "hates her freckles."

The girl's statements are underscored by Cyndi Lauper's True Colors, sung by the Girl Scouts Chorus of Nassau County, N.Y.

Dove - True Colors

Campaign: 2013

Now there are the Dove Real Beauty sketches. It is a genius ad campaign that went viral. It became the most watched video (Week of May 30, 2013) on YouTube with more than 110 million views.

The video goes like this: A forensic artist was hired to sketch women based on the women’s description of themselves. He then drew the same women by asking someone else to describe her features. The ladies are presented the sketches side by side. In each case, the sketch the women contributed to was less flattering than the one where she was described by someone else.

The tag line to the ad reads “You’re more beautiful than you think.”

The Dove Campaign

Dove - Evolution Dove – OnslaughtDove – Amy Dove Pro-age Campaign Dove For MenDove- Real Beauty Sketches

Dove

What is the message, or theme, of the ad campaign?

Who is the target audience?How do the media makers make a wide

variety of people value the message they’re sending?

These ads, and this campaign have become classic Dove, which purports to be on a mission to change our perception of what’s “beautiful.”

The campaign has elicited many kudos for Dove. But are they warranted?

It’s refreshing to think a corporate giant is looking out for our well-being – but is this the case?

Dove’s ads use copy scolding advertisers: “Don’t manipulate our perceptions of real beauty.” The ads feature real women of all shapes, sizes and ages, rather than models. Essentially the “Real Beauty” campaign is a campaign against traditional ads and advertisers which commonly use impossibly skinny models, with ample cleavage and flawless skin. Those ads, say Dove’s research, contribute to women’s negative body images.

In addition to changing women’s perception of themselves, Dove is also aiming at girls. The company’s latest ad said this: “Buy Dove and raise a girl’s self-esteem.”

How does your deodorant purchase help to raise a girl’s self-esteem?

Visit Dove’s website and you will find the “The Dove Self Esteem Fund.” According to the website each time you buy Dove, you help provide self-esteem building for girls

UNILEVER

Questions about the campaign can be directed to Dove’s Head Office. Which is Unilever.

Incidentally, Unilever is also head office for Axe.

AXE is the brand that claims to have “been helping guys get the girl” since 1983. AXE makes personal care products for men and therefore its ads are targeted to men. They are full of buxom blondes wearing skimpy clothing and oozing sex appeal. The ads are the antithesis of Dove’s.

AXE: A Unilever product, just like Dove.

With its coolly seductive fragrances and packaging, the brand has established itself as the world's top male grooming brand by coming up with a constant stream of new ideas to keep guys a step ahead in the mating game. Each year, for example, they launch a new deodorant fragrance.

The Axe Ad Campaigns

YouTube - Funny Axe Ads - Touch the Girls

YouTube - Axe Dark Temptation

YouTube – AxeYouTube - The AXE

Effect - Women – Billions

How did our idea of beauty get so distorted?

So while the Dove Self Esteem Fund asks “How did our idea of beauty become so distorted?” it doesn’t have to look further than its sister company AXE for the answer.

Ironically, the company that aims to end self-esteem issues in women, is also complicit in contributing to them.

Assignment

Find a partner.Complete the questions assigned.Consider your stance on this broader question:

“Dove and Axe: Examples of Hypocrisy or Good Marketing?”

Be prepared to defend your stance in a class discussion.