Dove: The Onslaught of Beauty Imagery

The media has an enormous affect on how we (mainly women) view ourselves, and does give us impossible images to live up to because most of them are altered/airbrushed/manipulated in some way or another.

As a commercial, I like the Dove ad, and I do think that some parental input and guidance can go a long way towards building healthy self-esteem in a child...turning off the tv helps, too. ;)

Sexism,Boooooo!

men have body image problems too but we're told we're not supposed to so it adds another layer of guilt for being "different".

Yay, Dove!

I like Dove's ads...they usually feature real-looking women and hey, if it helps them sell more beauty products, oh well. Now if only companies would stop airbrushing everything...

I just took a look around the Dove site, especially the Campaign for Real Beauty pages. I think they're doing a great thing. I've been loving their ads with older women. I don't think they're just trying a new angle to get more customers. I think they're taking a risk. There's a reason older women aren't usually used as skin care models and a reason many beauty commercials and ads use youth and sex to sell their products. For Dove to stand up and do the opposite is huge.

They have a "Dove Self-Esteem Fund" that seems like a good idea to me.

Wow! I don't watch television very often and haven't seen any of these ads. This ad is wonderful. I'm not as moved by the surrounding polemics. I don't see any problem in trying to look better; that's a natural human desire (for both sexes, too). This ad walks that line perfectly, in that it doesn't really say anything about that desire, but rather at the strength of the advertising stream. And, it gives the right message: prepare your children.

The evolution ad was beautifully done as well. I especially liked how the model looked a bit pulled and poked throughout the whole makeup ordeal, and then was literally pulled by photoshop. Awesome.

Please, tell me that these ads are being widely discussed by those in the TV-watching world.

This is a terrific ad. I, too, have no problem with Dove's position on this one. Most of their better-known products aren't so much beauty products as just "good grooming" products - soap, shampoo, etc. I hadn't seen the ad before - thanks for posting it. My daughter is grown, but I'm going to share it with some friends with young daughters - I know they'll like it, too.

I haven't seen this ad (don't have the technology right now) but I have seen the "Evolution" one, and made my children watch it and we talked about it. Really clever, positive marketing.

On one hand, it's a good message. Little ladies need to know that what they see in the media is not "real." On the other hand, Dove stills tell us we are supposed to look a certain way and we need to buy products to do that.

As far as advertising goes these days, this is pretty good. The irony that they are warning us about the beauty industry while trying to sell us beauty products is not lost on consumers, but the good part of their message still gets through. Dove knows consumers are smart. They know they'll question the motives here. They still made the ad so they must believe in the message on some level.

And, let's face it, aside from the Ad Council, no one is making ads purely for the good of man and womankind. I'd rather see this kind of stuff then some of the other crap out there.

Never teh Bride said:
On one hand, it's a good message. Little ladies need to know that what they see in the media is not "real." On the other hand, Dove stills tell us we are supposed to look a certain way and we need to buy products to do that.[...]

Very true, but wouldn't YOU rather sit by someone who used deodorant on the bus vs. someone who doesn't? I don't have a problem with Dove's products...they ARE pretty much just grooming products. Who doesn't want clean hair and soft skin and nice-smelling armpits?

I think this ad-campaign is great. At the end of the day we all need to buy deoderant / soap / showergel etc., and I would much rather spend my hard-earned cash on a company that is trying to promote a healthy, realistic body-image as opposed to other companies trying to sell us products that they claim will help us achieve 'perfection' which is actually completely unobtainable.

Wow...what a brilliantly thought provoking ad! I also loved the previous 'Evolution' ad, and fully support what Dove are trying to do!!

i like dove, wasnt it them that had the thick women in panties?

I have to say Dove really did a good job of positioning themselves for this overall campaign. I bet it was very profitable for them.

http://thetyee.ca/Views/2007/08/30/RealBeauty/
Check out this article. It reveals a darker side to the company that owns dove--a real double-standard.