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Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

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The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is a worldwide marketing campaign launched by Unilever in 2004 aiming to build self confidence in women and young children.[1] Dove's partners in the campaign included Ogilvy, Edelman Public Relations, and Harbinger Communications (in Canada) along with other consultants.[2] Part of the overall project was the Evolution campaign.

Campaign

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In 2004, Dove and Ogilvy organized a photography exhibit titled "Beyond Compare: Women Photographers on Real Beauty". The show featured work from 67 female photographers which led to the Real Beauty campaign.[3] The Dove Real Beauty campaign was conceived in 2004 during a three-year creative strategic research effort, conducted in partnership with three universities, led by Joah Santos.[4] The creative was conceived by Ogilvy Düsseldorf and London.[5][6]

The study resulted in a new consumer-centric versus product-centric advertising strategy, which Joah Santos referred to as P.O.V. - Purpose | Objective | Vision.[7] The plan abandoned Unilever's traditional brand essence ladder in favor of a POV strategy "To make women feel comfortable in their own skin and to create a world where beauty is a source of confidence rather than anxiety." The original advertising research indicated that only 4% of women consider themselves beautiful.[5]

The first stage of the campaign centered on a series of billboard advertisements, initially put up in Germany and United Kingdom, and later worldwide. The spots showcased photographs of regular women (in place of professional models), taken by noted portrait photographer Rankin.[8] The ads invited passersby to vote on whether a particular model was, for example, "Fat or Fab" or "Wrinkled or Wonderful", with the results of the votes dynamically updated and displayed on the billboard itself.[9] Accompanying the billboard advertisements was the publication of the "Dove Report", a corporate study in which Unilever intended to "[create] a new definition of beauty [which] will free women from self-doubt and encourage them to embrace their real beauty."[10]

According to Ad Age, the campaign successfully increased sales of Dove soap from $2 billion to $4 billion in three years.[6]

The series received significant media coverage from talk shows, women's magazines, and mainstream news broadcasts and publications,[11] generating media exposure that Unilever has estimated to be worth more than 30 times the paid-for media space.[12] Following this success, the campaign expanded into other media with a series of television spots (Flip Your Wigs and the Pro-Age series, among others) and print advertisements ("Tested on Real Curves"), culminating in the 2006 Little Girls global campaign, which featured regional versions of the same advertisement in both print and screen,[13] for which Unilever purchased a 30-second spot in the commercial break during Super Bowl XL at an estimated cost of $2.5 million.[14]

In 2006, Ogilvy sought to extend the campaign further by creating viral videos. The first video, Daughters, consisted of filmed interviews about how mothers and daughters related to modern perceptions of beauty and the beauty industry. Dove's Self-Esteem Fund released statistics to support the idea that young women and girls are likelier to have distorted views of beauty.[15] During the production of Daughters, a series of short films entitled "Beauty Crackdown" was pitched to Unilever as an "activation idea".[16][17]

Art director Tim Piper proposed to create Evolution with the budget left over from Daughters (C$135,000).[18] It was designed to get viewers to find the campaign website to watch Daughters and to participate in mother-daughter workshops.[17] After Evolution, Ogilvy produced Onslaught and Amy. Onslaught is a video about the influence that the beauty industry can have on young girls.[1]

In April 2013, a video titled Dove Real Beauty Sketches was released as part of the campaign, created by Hugo Veiga. It went viral, attracting strong reactions from the public and media.[5] In the video, several women describe themselves to a forensic sketch artist who cannot see his subjects. The same women are then described by strangers whom they met the previous day. The sketches are compared, with the stranger's image invariably being both more flattering and more accurate.[19] The differences create strong reactions when shown to the women.[5]

In October 2013, Free Being Me, a collaboration between Dove and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts was launched, with the aim of increasing "self-esteem and body confidence" in girls.[20]

In 2017, Dove and Ogilvy London created limited-edition versions of body wash bottles meant to look like different body shapes and sizes. Dove produced 6,800 bottles of the six different designs and sent them to 15 different countries.[21]

Reaction

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The Dove Campaign was one of the first campaigns considered as going "viral", a relatively new phenomenon in 2004.[22] Ad Age ranked the campaign number 1 in a list of the top ad campaigns of the 21st century.[6]

Individual ads caused different reactions, both positive and negative. Evolution won two Cannes Lions Grand Prix awards.[2] Katy Young at The Daily Telegraph called Real Beauty Sketches "one campaign that will make you think, and hopefully, feel more beautiful."[23]

Tanzina Vega at The New York Times interviewed an advertising exec who liked the message that "Many women undervalue themselves and also the way they look".[24] Others criticized the ad's message as self-contradictory. Vega interviewed a 24-year-old viewer who said, "at the heart of it all is that beauty is still what defines women. It is a little hypocritical".[24]

Women in the target audience expressed mixed responses.[25] Kate Fridkis at Psychology Today approved of the overall message, but noted that the models were mostly white, thin, and young.[26] Fridkis also criticized Dove for patronizing women about their physical insecurities while being part of an industry that encourages women to find self-worth in their appearances.[26] Erin Keane at Salon argued that Dove was "peddling the same old beauty standards as empowerment".[27]

Critics believe that the campaign focuses too greatly on the physical aspect of beauty instead of other forms of self-worth. Ann Friedman of The Cut argued, "These ads still uphold the notion that, when it comes to evaluating ourselves and other women, beauty is paramount. The goal shouldn't be to get women to focus on how we are all gorgeous in our own way. It should be to get women to do for ourselves what we wish the broader culture would do: judge each other based on intelligence and wit and ethical sensibility, not just our faces and bodies."[28]

Others expressed concerns that while Dove portrays their models as unedited and "real", the images have actually been photoshopped to smooth the appearance of the women's skin, hide wrinkles and blemishes, fix stray hairs, etc. Photo retoucher Pascal Dangin of Box Studios told The New Yorker he edited the photos, saying "Do you know how much retouching was on that?"[29]

Nina Bahadur at HuffPost interviewed a Dove spokesperson who said Dove seeks to bring more awareness of beauty standards to women of different ages and cultural backgrounds.[22]

Critics and defenders have both pointed out that one ad campaign seeking to redefine beauty is unlikely to solve a widespread social problem of women and girls feeling physical insecurities. Dr. Carolyn Coker Ross at Psych Central estimated 80 percent of American women feel dissatisfied with their bodies.[22][30] The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders cited a 1991 study estimating 81 percent of 10-year-old girls were afraid of becoming "fat".[22][31]

The campaign has been criticized on the grounds that Unilever also produces Fair and Lovely, a skin-lightening product marketed at dark-skinned women in several countries.[32] Unilever brand Lynx's advertising campaign contradicted the sentiment of the Campaign for Real Beauty.[33] Moreover, Unilever owns Axe hygiene products, which are marketed to men using overtly sexualized women, and SlimFast diet bars.[34][35] Will Burns at Forbes called such criticism "irrelevant", arguing that consumers would not be able to recognize that these brands shared a parent company.[35]

References

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  1. ^ a b Millard, Jennifer (September 2005). "Performing Beauty: Dove's "Real Beauty" Campaign". Symbolic Interaction. 32 (2): 146–168. doi:10.1525/si.2009.32.2.146. ISSN 0195-6086.
  2. ^ a b "Dove Evolution Viral Film wins Film Grand Prix at Cannes Advertising Awards" (Press release). Harbinger. 23 June 2007. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  3. ^ Bahadur, Nina (21 January 2014). "Dove 'Real Beauty' Campaign Turns 10: How A Brand Tried To Change The Conversation About Female Beauty". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Why are we not seeing intelligent women portrayed more in ads?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Tanzina Vega (18 April 2013). "Ad About Women's Self-Image Creates a Sensation". New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  6. ^ a b c Advertising Age (2015). "Top 15 Ad Campaigns of the 21st Century". AdAge.com. Crain Communications. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Become significant". TEDtalks. 23 May 2007. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Too Young To Be Old: Dove Pro-Age". (press release). Unilever plc. 2004. Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2008..
  9. ^ "First Interactive Times Square Billboard Asks New Yorkers to Vote; Global Beauty Brand Dove Asks: 'Do You Think Our Advertising Is Beautiful?' (on FindArticles.com)". Business Wire. 22 October 2004. Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2008..
  10. ^ "The Dove Report: Challenging Beauty" (PDF). Unilever plc. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2008..
  11. ^ "2007 Creativity Award Grand Prize Winner: Dove "Evolution"". Creativity. 14 May 2007. Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2008..
  12. ^ Kolstad, Jonathan (2006). "Unilever PLC: Campaign for Real Beauty campaign". Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns, Vol 2. Thomson Gale. pp. 1679–1683. ISBN 978-0-7876-7356-7..
  13. ^ U.S. Archived 2 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine and Filipino versions, for example.
  14. ^ "'Dove Evolution' Goes Viral, with Triple the Traffic of Super Bowl Spot". Marketing Vox. 31 October 2006. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2008..
  15. ^ Willett, Julie A. (1 January 2010). The American Beauty Industry Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313359491.
  16. ^ "Making Of: Evolution". Rogue Editorial. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2008..
  17. ^ a b McKenzie, Brett. "The Evolution of Evolution (interview with Tim Piper and Janet Kestin)". ihaveanidea.org. Archived from the original on 29 April 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2008..
  18. ^ Scott, Sarah (4 September 2007). "Ready for their Close-Up". Financial Post. Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
  19. ^ Emma Gray (16 April 2013). "Dove's 'Real Beauty Sketches' Ad Campaign Tells Women 'You're More Beautiful Than You Think'". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  20. ^ "PRESS RELEASE" (PDF). WAGGS. 11 October 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  21. ^ "Dove Restyles Its Body Wash Bottles as 'Real' Body Shapes - Print (video) - Creativity Online". Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  22. ^ a b c d Bahadur, Nina (21 January 2014). "Dove 'Real Beauty' Campaign Turns 10: How A Brand Tried To Change The Conversation About Female Beauty". Huff Post Women. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015.
  23. ^ Katy Young (22 April 2013). "Dove's new beauty campaign confirms that we are more beautiful than we think". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 April 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  24. ^ a b Vega, Tanzina (18 April 2013). "Ad About Women's Self Image Creates a Sensation". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017.
  25. ^ Stampler, Laura. "Why People Hate Dove's 'Real Beauty Sketches' Video". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  26. ^ a b Fridkis, Kate. "What's Wrong With Dove's Real Beauty Sketches Campaign?". Psychology Today. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  27. ^ Keane, Erin (18 April 2013). "Stop posting that Dove ad: "Real beauty" campaign is not feminist". Salon. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  28. ^ Friedman, Ann (18 April 2013). "Beauty Above All Else: The Problem With Dove's New Viral Ad". The Cut. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015.
  29. ^ "Dove's 'Real Beauty' Campaign Isn't Real!". NYMag. 8 May 2008. Archived from the original on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  30. ^ Ross, Carolyn (2 June 2012). "Why Do Women Hate Their Bodies? | World of Psychology". Psych Central. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  31. ^ "Eating Disorders Statistics". National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Archived from the original on 14 September 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  32. ^ Lee, Jann Bernadette (Winter 2008). "Selling Self-Esteem". McClung's Magazine: 18–9. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  33. ^ Nutley, Michael (21 January 2010). "Loose lips place brand reputation on the line". Marketing Week. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  34. ^ O'Donnell, Daniel (2008). "Unilever's Dove and Axe: Examples of Hypocrisy or Good Marketing?" (PDF). Case Study Competition Journal. Arthur W. Page Society: 39–51. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2009.
  35. ^ a b Will Burns (23 April 2013). "Dove, Your 'Sketches' Idea Is More Beautiful Than Your Critics Think". Forbes. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2013.

Further reading

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