Those Dove Ads

I "love" how all these articles and such do label these women as "fat", and feel allowed to make nasty comments (yeah, I'm still not really over the "the only time I want to see a thigh that big is in a bucket with bread crumbs on it" line). In all honesty, all I've ever felt in these "controversial articles" was lots of nastiness and very little potential for real discussion.

I don't know on what planet these people have been living... probably they just don't like anything interferring with their little fantasies of perfect women with perfect faces and perfect bodies in a perfect world. Having fantasies is normal, but not when it means lashing out in such a manner at women who, for a change, do look healthy and normal. Duh.

In what world are any of these women fat??? Or even heavy? They look healthy to me. Is the world so self-deluded as to think most women are anorexic looking? What is the message we are sending to the youngsters of this world that to even be acceptable you have to be boney? Unless I am mistaken, it looks as though these women still have flat stomaches, single-chins, and could easily wear a bikini. So what else do people want??? I praise Dove for what they are doing and, hey, maybe they will add some women with even more curves.

Agreed. We need more realism in advertising. I think the present way leads us all to feel hoplessly inadequate.

I *love* these ads, and hope to see copycats from other companies. These women depict how a healthy weight really looks; hooray for Dove!

Hey, this is the country where Lindsay Lohan isn't thin and neither is Mary Kate Olsen. FAR too many women are lebelled as "fat" when they're nowhere near that (Alicia Silverstone in Batman & Robin comes quickly to mind ;c)

As a guy, I'm tired of seeing ribs, spines, and hipbones protruding! Put some MEAT on!

Oh, that was supposed to be a sarcastic comment about Lohan & Olsen (wasn't sure if it came off that way).

Someone give them a burger, or a sundae, or something, ... please!

Those women are hardly fat! They look so healthy and happy. I just feel that it's such a schizophrenic message, "hey you, with the normal body. fix it with this cream".

Actually, the point of Dove's campaign is merely to generate a bunch of buzz. Then it can indirectly market a cream which may or may not treat cellulite. As a dermatologist, I doubt it works. More here:

http://skinema.blogs.com/skinema_dermatology_in_th/2005/08/doves_campaign_.html

I also doubt that most "firming" lotions out there work either, but Dove makes a point by saying the typical models don't exactly need firming lotions. They also have other campaigns promoting gray-haired women, freckly women, flat chested women, etc. All of whom are beautiful and not the stereotypical model. I like their approach and if they sell more cream because of it, more power to them.

Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty has caused much controversy among our nation. Their ads and commercials have forced every women (and even man) to ask themselves "What is real beauty? Is it the girls we see in Vogue Magazine and Victoria's Secret commercials everday?" Well, here's my answer: No. I think it's about time that we all start to examine and redifine our nation's definiton of beauty. The media-- oh, the media... The media influences our opinions on "the perfect body" when in fact there is no such thing as the perfect body! We all grow old and, at risk of sounding like an existentialist, DIE. We get wrinkles, gain a few lbs... people! it's called LIFE. The media makes the "super-models" seem like the norm... even the majority!! Well, newflash America! Twiggy never was, nor is, the norm! It's time for a reality check: The people in InShape Magazine are the minority!! Shouldn't the media (the word "media" including countless ads, commercials, photos, articles, etc. promoting an unhealthy body image and convincing the rest of American women that their bodies are inadequate...) be representing the NORM? Most of our beautiful women in this country (and trust me, we have a lot of 'em!) DO NOT have bodies like Tyra Banks. All I have to say is THANK GOODNESS there is finally an ad showing real women and real curves.... It's about time! In reality, beauty DOES come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and it's too bad that the media has set the "standards" of beauty to such an unhealthy level and has polluted the minds of our men, both young and old, with images of unhealthy girls... calling them "beautiful." I say, GO DOVE!

Ali Mitchell, age fifteen.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Dove ads. In one sense I think they are groundbreaking, and inspiring, yet on the other hand I can't help but remind myself that they are corporate advertisements. This is a campaign that was created to sell Dove products, and I can almost imagine ad exec's sitting around looking for a way to reach the market of not-so-pretty people. I would much rather see a campaign like this done by the government or a non-profit organization. But regardless, if it makes people think a little bit differently, maybe Dove deserves their increased profits.

I really like the dove commercials. They show real women! Do we ever see real women on tv anymore? No we do not. This is the only time i have ever seen a real woman on tv, except when im watching home videos..We need to see more women that are REAL all real, not a girl with a "perfect body" I mean what is perfect anyways? We all seem to believe that the thin ones, who are tall, pretty, beautiful hair, and can wear a bikini just right are perfect. Well when you stop and think about this concept for just a moment, most of the women in the world are not like this image that we assume "perfect". So then why are we so hard on ourselves trying to look like everyone else, and not like ourselves? If more real people were on tv, maybe it would make women feel much better about theirself.

I love the new Dove ads. They represent me. These are MY people!!! I want to be able to judge beauty for myself, not be told what it is so many times I am confused by everything that I see! I hate the message the media sends us, it is damaging! So I am cheering for these real women, because if they are beautiful, I am beautiful, and you are beautiful. At least that's what I think. These ads make me smile. Finally! Finally! I hope things finally change from this sick, sick media experience that we have.
Sincerely,
A girl who has struggled and does struggle with body image issues

Although these ads seem to be putting out a good message in the media to women, I would also take into account that the company the owns Dove, is Axe. Axe fetures commercials with men spraying on Axe and than skinny women jumping on them. Kind of funny, no? Maybe we should really stop and concider, is this to good to be true?

this is an absolutely amazing ad. I am so happy that women are absolutely perfect in these comercials, and that they are happy with themselves.
xoxo, KYLA*** (l)(k)

I think that these Dove bulletins don't really show "normal" women in the way that they "supposedly" want people to see them as. What I mean is that, for the most part these bulletins are posted on the most unnoticeable places that a bulletin could be placed on. When I was downtown recently, I looked for these ads and I normally found them on the other of the buildings where no one would normally see them. I just think its all a big advertising scheme. So women with "normal" bodies will feel appreciated. Personally, I feel there are too many different body types for dove to pick just 5 people to put up on a pedestal to praise. Whether you’re thin to the bone, or triple to quadruple the size, you’re normal. To me, there shouldn't be any "normal" ads. It becomes very patronizing and very stupid. And for the people that call women who are thin, anorexic its just as bad as calling someone "fat". I don't think that any one would appreciate being called that, so why doesn't everyone just stop naming people and leave them alone. Don't describe people as anorexic when you don't want to be called fat.
Also if Dove really wanted to promote healthy women and really do it for the good of everyone, then they shouldn’t have this bulletin for only a month. It should start to incorporate more and more different shapes of bodies in their advertisements. Also they shouldn’t make it such a big deal that they have women who aren’t supermodels on their boards. All I am saying is that if it were truly an ad to appreciate and respect different body types, it shouldn’t be so commercialized and Dove as a company should not be out talking about why they have something like this. It should come naturally and shouldn’t be something that everyone talks about.

Hy! I would only like to ask if any of you know what's the song in the Dove Fresh Touch commercial. It's absolutely enchanting. Thank you!

Im not in need of a diet or weight loss,I need to put weight on...im 18 and have hypo-thyroid....its horrible.
Im doing an article for a newspaper of the dove ads,and i cant belive the mixed information ive found...the mixed opinions. theres no medium though, people eitherlove then for their attempt, or they hate them in genral. personally i think they are the best adds out their. girl, younger girls need too see real womwn on tv, even if its only for a 20 second slot. its a start, the only way to bring about change is to shake things up, and theyve accomplished that. ill support that any day

I love your usse of regular women in your ads. God bless you!

ALI!!! YOU GO MAN! I agree with all of you completely. As a young girl I find it really hard to grow up in a world where the definition of beautiful is 95 pounds. I am 5"10 and the tallest girl in my grade, and a lot of the time I embrace it. Sometimes it is quite a tough "gift" to handle. I love Dove's campaign because even though women may not admit it, feeling ugly is something that a lot of girls struggle with. If Dove sells more lotion, well then good for them because they definately deserve it. I've just been reading these things over and already I feel better about myself. THANKS GUYZ!

Well I can understand the comments about commercialism and how maybe Dove decided to try and market a different set of clientele for their products through these advertisements. But then again, there's a problem right there. What? I'm not 95lbs, so therefor the dove anti-aging facial cream isn't right for me? Look, maybe they ARE exploiting a 'new' market, but as someone who has fought an eating disorder for the last fifteen years, I consider it a breath of fresh air to see something more realistic on ads then to see the unrealistic ones we're bombarded with everyday. Don't know (or really care) what their intentions were. Their intention could be totally selfish, but it's still nice for me personally, and I'm sure many others out there, to get a break from the 'usual' that you see out there on TV/billboards/magazines/etc.

don't shoot the messenger, but:

"A survey of 470 female undergraduates claims two thirds reacted "favourably" to adverts using thinner female models."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/5363032.stm

I think the add premise is amazing and that it's far past time for concepts such as these to be out there for our kids to see. SADLY - DOVE seems to me to be VERY HYPOCRITICAL IN THESE CAMPAIGNS - they are preaching "Real beauty" but simultaneously selling products such as "FIRMING LOTIONS" and CELLULITE SCRUBS"

Steve, they are still less bad than Nivea, that is advertising its cellulite cream by showing size 00 models in shorts. They didn't even use Gisele in those ads, cause she might be too fat and too old. They used 14-year-old size 00 Russian models, cause they are obviously covered in cellulite and saggy skin.

Let's be real here, the ad is there to sell. That's it's primary function, everything else in it just leads back to that, directly or indirectly.
It's a noble goal and by god we have the product to do it, is what it says.
Personally I don't care what shape a woman is in if it's not extreme or artificial, moderation and healthy is the way to go.

I've noticed a Dove advertisement on real beauty where they had a picture of a dark-skinned girl. I think though it's positive but for publicity. They'll return to skin-whitening to make a girl look pallid.

fat is NOT the way to go. if all models were fat, who would need to strive for perfection anymore?

makes no sense to me, I'd rather see GLAMOUROUS models than FAT people. :)

and this whole thing screams MARKETING GIMMIC to me.

I'm analysing these beauty ads for my Media Studies A2 exam, (in January 2008) and I'd just like some people to help me out by answering a few questions about the campaign, and send it to me via e-mail here:
purple-harlequin@hotmail.co.uk

1) Why do you think that Dove started this campaign?
2) Would you feel more encouraged to buy Dove products because of their campaign?
3) Do these adverts make you feel better about yourself? Why or why not?

Feedback would be more than appreciated - I'm really behind with this research because of other work.

Thank you in advance! (:

xxxx

People, normal and average sucks! Don't call people that because most people are not happy with average in any aspect of their lives. They're like to think they're worth more than that. Saying you appreciate that these models are "normal and average looking" already tells me you have a preconceived idea of what beauty is, and I bet it is not them!
If you're happy with labelling things as such, i feels sorry for you. Thinking things are average limit your ambition and competativeness. I'd get mad at anyone who said I was average at something unless it was for my own good, like a teacher saying that I only got an average mark for a class. How would you like it if someone called you "average looking" if you bothered to colour your hair and shave?

Give it more credit than that.

The dove ad where all the research shows nobody fancies women over 50..... bla bla really drives me crazy... it's sooo depressing rather than up lifting

As an average-looking woman myself, my issue with the Dove campaign is I feel WORSE about myself when I take it in. I feel like I'm being told "who are you trying to kid...you're not model beautiful and we know it!" Seriously, that's how I feel! Who are THEY to decide I, an invisible consumer, DOESN'T fit a typical beauty standard? For one thing, like it or not, stunningly beautiful women DO exist. Heck, I knew a jaw dropper in college who looked like a cover model, NO airbrushing, all she had to do was roll out of bed in the morning. It didn't bother me though, because that was how she came into this world. I like to think that beautiful women like that are allowed to exist, and that "average" women like me can play dress up and buy glamorous products and have the occasional great hair day or wear a fabulous outfit and feel like "hmmm...maybe I'M turning a few heads today, just like she did!" I guess what I'm saying is, the Dove campaign is supposed to nurture that feeling I already have, but what I really see is "we know you're not beautiful like them...accept it and buy our products because we like you ANYWAY." See the irony there?