Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

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.{{Cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/dove-real-beauty-campaign-turns-10_n_4575940.html|title=Dove 'Real Beauty' Campaign Turns 10: How A Brand Tried To Change The Conversation About Female Beauty|last=Bahadur|first=Nina|date=2014-01-21|work=Huffington Post|access-date=2017-05-24|language=en-US|archive-date=29 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029105541/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/dove-real-beauty-campaign-turns-10_n_4575940.html|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/connect/media-and-technology/intelligent-women-portrayed-more-in-ads/|title=Why are we not seeing intelligent women portrayed more in ads?|newspaper=The Telegraph|access-date=2016-11-10|archive-date=1 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201212058/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connect/media-and-technology/intelligent-women-portrayed-more-in-ads/|url-status=live}} The creative was conceived by Ogilvy Düsseldorf and London.{{cite news |author=Tanzina Vega |date=April 18, 2013 |title=Ad About Women's Self-Image Creates a Sensation |work=New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/business/media/dove-ad-on-womens-self-image-creates-an-online-sensation.html |accessdate=April 22, 2013 |archive-date=6 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306205550/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/business/media/dove-ad-on-womens-self-image-creates-an-online-sensation.html? |url-status=live }}{{cite web|author1=Advertising Age|authorlink1=Advertising Age|title=Top 15 Ad Campaigns of the 21st Century|url=http://adage.com/lp/top15/#truth|website=AdAge.com|publisher=Crain Communications|accessdate=10 September 2017|date=2015|archive-date=10 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910055525/http://adage.com/lp/top15/#truth|url-status=live}}{{cite news |date=May 23, 2007 |title=Become significant |work=TEDtalks |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta5DQKseliU |url-status=live |accessdate=April 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/ta5DQKseliU |archive-date=2021-12-21}}{{cbignore}} The original advertising research indicated that only 4% of women consider themselves beautiful.

The first stage of the campaign centered on a series of billboard advertisements, initially put up in Germany and United Kingdom. The spots showcased photographs of regular women (in place of professional models), taken by noted portrait photographer Rankin.{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-08-2007/0004523308&EDATE |title=Too Young To Be Old: Dove Pro-Age |accessdate=2008-02-21 |author= |year=2004 |work=(press release) |publisher=Unilever plc |archive-date=21 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921231138/http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-08-2007/0004523308&EDATE |url-status=live }}. 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.{{cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2004_Oct_22/ai_n6248505 |title=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) |accessdate=2008-02-21 |date=2004-10-22 |work=Business Wire |publisher= |archive-date=16 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416184128/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2004_Oct_22/ai_n6248505/ |url-status=live }}. Accompanying the billboard advertisements was the publication of the "Dove Report", a corporate study.{{cite web|url=http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/uploadedFiles/challenging_beauty.pdf |title=The Dove Report: Challenging Beauty |accessdate=2008-02-21 |year=2004 |publisher=Unilever plc |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920165955/http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/uploadedFiles/challenging_beauty.pdf |archivedate=2008-09-20 }}. The creatives in charge of the shoot and original concept were Jacqueline Leak and Debra Fried from Ogilvy, New York.

According to Ad Age, the campaign successfully increased sales of Dove soap from $2 billion to $4 billion in three years. The series received significant media coverage,{{cite web |url=http://creativity-online.com/?action=news:article&newsId=119085§ionId=the_creativity_awards |date=14 May 2007 |title=2007 Creativity Award Grand Prize Winner: Dove "Evolution" |publisher=Creativity |accessdate=November 28, 2008 |archive-date=16 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416053040/http://creativity-online.com/?action=news:article&newsId=119085§ionId=the_creativity_awards |url-status=live }}. generating exposure that Unilever estimated to be worth more than 30 times the paid-for media space.{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns, Vol 2 |chapter=Unilever PLC: Campaign for Real Beauty campaign |last=Kolstad |first=Jonathan |year=2006 |publisher=Thomson Gale |isbn=978-0-7876-7356-7 |pages=1679–1683 }}. Following this, the campaign expanded with a series of television spots, culminating in the 2006 Little Girls global campaign, which featured regional versions of the same advertisement in both print and screen,[http://www.adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/59325 U.S.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902191145/http://www.adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/59325 |date=2 September 2012 }} and [https://archive.today/20070205070648/http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.ph/flat3.asp?id=7109 Filipino] versions, for example. Unilever purchased a 30-second spot during Super Bowl XL at an estimated cost of $2.5 million for the Little Girls campaign.{{cite web|url=http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2006/10/31/dove_evolution_goes_viral_with_triple_the_traffic_of_super_bowl_spot/ |title='Dove Evolution' Goes Viral, with Triple the Traffic of Super Bowl Spot |accessdate=2008-02-21 |work=Marketing Vox |date=2006-10-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517231034/http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2006/10/31/dove_evolution_goes_viral_with_triple_the_traffic_of_super_bowl_spot/ |archivedate=2008-05-17 }}.

In 2006, Daughters was released, which 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.{{Cite book|title = The American Beauty Industry Encyclopedia|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=CljLw4sH2DMC|publisher = ABC-CLIO|date = 2010-01-01|isbn = 9780313359491|language = en|first = Julie A.|last = Willett}}{{cite web|url=http://www.beam.tv/beamreels/reel_player.php?CdRryqFbSH|title=Making Of: Evolution|accessdate=2008-02-21|work=Rogue Editorial|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102211719/http://www.beam.tv/beamreels/reel_player.php?CdRryqFbSH|archive-date=2014-11-02|url-status=dead}}.{{cite web |last=McKenzie |first=Brett |url=http://ihaveanidea.org/articles/index.php?/archives/381-The-Evolution-of-Evolution.html |title=The Evolution of Evolution (interview with Tim Piper and Janet Kestin) |accessdate=2008-02-21 |publisher=ihaveanidea.org |archive-date=29 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429152208/http://ihaveanidea.org/articles/index.php?/archives/381-The-Evolution-of-Evolution.html |url-status=live }}. Art director Tim Piper proposed to create Evolution with the budget left over from Daughters).{{cite news |last=Scott |first=Sarah |date=September 4, 2007 |title=Ready for their Close-Up |url=http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/story.html?id=e2e95710-bd0a-46c5-8208-725975e9ec88 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417124231/http://www2.canada.com/national/nationalpost/story.html?id=e2e95710-bd0a-46c5-8208-725975e9ec88 |archivedate=April 17, 2009 |accessdate=November 9, 2008 |work=Financial Post}} It was designed to get viewers to find the campaign website to watch Daughters and to participate in mother-daughter workshops. After Evolution, Ogilvy produced Onslaught.{{Cite journal|last=Millard|first=Jennifer|date=September 2005|title=Performing Beauty: Dove's "Real Beauty" Campaign|journal=Symbolic Interaction|language=en|volume=32|issue=2|pages=146–168|doi=10.1525/si.2009.32.2.146|issn=0195-6086}}

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. 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.{{cite news|title=Dove's 'Real Beauty Sketches' Ad Campaign Tells Women 'You're More Beautiful Than You Think'|work=Huffington Post|author=Emma Gray|date=April 16, 2013|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/15/doves-real-beauty-sketches-ad-campaign-video_n_3088071.html|accessdate=April 22, 2013|archive-date=24 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424162004/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/15/doves-real-beauty-sketches-ad-campaign-video_n_3088071.html|url-status=live}} The differences create strong reactions when shown to the women.

In October 2013, Free Being Me, a collaboration between Dove and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts was launched.{{cite web |url=http://wagggsworld.org/en/grab/24564/1/dove.pdf |title=PRESS RELEASE |publisher=WAGGS |date=11 October 2013 |accessdate=3 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110848/http://wagggsworld.org/en/grab/24564/1/dove.pdf |archivedate=2 April 2015 }}

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.{{Cite news|url=http://creativity-online.com/work/dove-real-beauty-bottles/51698|title=Dove Restyles Its Body Wash Bottles as 'Real' Body Shapes - Print (video) - Creativity Online|access-date=2017-05-04|language=en|archive-date=5 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505014338/http://creativity-online.com/work/dove-real-beauty-bottles/51698|url-status=live}}

In 2023, Dove partnered with Common Sense Media, Lizzo, and ParentsTogether Action to advance revisions of the Kids Online Safety Act, a federal bill that supports design standards and safeguards to protect kids online.{{cite web|url=https://www.marketingdive.com/news/dove-self-esteem-project-campaign-kids-online-safety-legislation/647440/|title=Dove pushes for legislation to protect kids’ self-esteem from social media|website=Marketing Dive|date=April 12, 2023|author=Chris Kelly|access-date=February 1, 2025}}

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. However, women in the target audience expressed mixed responses.{{cite web|last=Stampler|first=Laura|title=Why People Hate Dove's 'Real Beauty Sketches' Video|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/why-people-hate-doves-real-beauty-ad-2013-4|publisher=Business Insider|accessdate=2 May 2013|archive-date=24 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424195815/http://www.businessinsider.com/why-people-hate-doves-real-beauty-ad-2013-4|url-status=live}} Dr. Carolyn Coker Ross at Psych Central estimated 80 percent of American women feel dissatisfied with their bodies.{{Cite web |last=Ross |first=Carolyn |date=2012-06-02 |title=Why Do Women Hate Their Bodies? {{!}} World of Psychology |url=http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/06/02/why-do-women-hate-their-bodies/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603225803/http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/06/02/why-do-women-hate-their-bodies/ |archive-date=2012-06-03 |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Psych Central}} 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".{{Cite web |date= |title=Eating Disorders Statistics |url=http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/ |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914201639/http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/ |archive-date=2010-09-14 |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders}}

The Dove Campaign was one of the first campaigns considered as going "viral", a relatively new phenomenon in 2004.{{Cite web |last=Bahadur |first=Nina |date=2014-01-21 |title=Dove 'Real Beauty' Campaign Turns 10: How A Brand Tried To Change The Conversation About Female Beauty |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/dove-real-beauty-campaign-turns-10_n_4575940.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029105541/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/dove-real-beauty-campaign-turns-10_n_4575940.html |archive-date=29 October 2015 |accessdate= |website=Huff Post Women |publisher=}} Ad Age ranked the campaign No. 1 in a list of the "Top Ad Campaigns of the 21st Century". Evolution won two Cannes Lions Grand Prix awards. Katy Young at The Daily Telegraph called the Real Beauty Sketches marketing campaign as being "one campaign that will make you think, and hopefully, feel more beautiful."{{cite news|title=Dove's new beauty campaign confirms that we are more beautiful than we think|date=April 22, 2013|author=Katy Young|work=The Telegraph|url=http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG10009657/Doves-new-beauty-campaign-confirms-that-we-are-more-beautiful-than-we-think.html|accessdate=April 22, 2013|archive-date=25 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425075449/http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG10009657/Doves-new-beauty-campaign-confirms-that-we-are-more-beautiful-than-we-think.html|url-status=live}} 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.

Critics, on the other hand, 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."{{Cite web|url = http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/04/beauty-above-all-else-doves-viral-ad-problem.html|title = Beauty Above All Else: The Problem With Dove's New Viral Ad|date = April 18, 2013|accessdate = |website = The Cut|publisher = |last = Friedman|first = Ann|archive-date = 19 November 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151119134403/http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/04/beauty-above-all-else-doves-viral-ad-problem.html|url-status = live}} Tanzina Vega at The New York Times interviewed a 24-year-old who noted about the marketing that "at the heart of it all is that beauty is still what defines women. It is a little hypocritical".{{Cite web |last=Vega |first=Tanzina |date=April 18, 2013 |title=Ad About Women's Self Image Creates a Sensation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/business/media/dove-ad-on-womens-self-image-creates-an-online-sensation.html?_r=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028103717/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/business/media/dove-ad-on-womens-self-image-creates-an-online-sensation.html?_r=0 |archive-date=28 October 2017 |accessdate= |website=The New York Times |publisher=}} Erin Keane at Salon argued that Dove was "peddling the same old beauty standards as empowerment".{{Cite web |last=Keane |first=Erin |date=2013-04-18 |title=Stop posting that Dove ad: "Real beauty" campaign is not feminist |url=https://www.salon.com/2013/04/18/stop_posting_that_dove_ad_real_beauty_campaign_is_not_feminist/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Salon |language=en}}

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?"{{cite web|title=Dove's 'Real Beauty' Campaign Isn't Real!|date=8 May 2008 |url=http://nymag.com/thecut/2008/05/doves_real_beauty_campaign_isn_1.html|publisher=NYMag|accessdate=2 May 2013|archive-date=15 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115135941/http://nymag.com/thecut/2008/05/doves_real_beauty_campaign_isn_1.html|url-status=live}} Kate Fridkis at Psychology Today noted that the models were mostly white, thin, and young.{{Cite web |last=Fridkis |first=Kate |title=What's Wrong With Dove's Real Beauty Sketches Campaign? |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/eat-the-damn-cake/201304/whats-wrong-doves-real-beauty-sketches-campaign |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Psychology Today |language=en}} 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.

The campaign has been criticized on the grounds that Unilever also produces Glow & Lovely, a skin-lightening product marketed at dark-skinned women in several countries.{{cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Jann Bernadette |date=Winter 2008 |title=Selling Self-Esteem |url=http://issuu.com/McClungs/docs/winter2008/18 |url-status=live |journal=McClung's Magazine |pages=18–9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618025852/http://issuu.com/mcclungs/docs/winter2008/18 |archive-date=18 June 2012 |access-date=14 April 2012}} Unilever brand Lynx's advertising campaign contradicted the sentiment of the Campaign for Real Beauty.{{cite web |last=Nutley |first=Michael |date=January 21, 2010 |title=Loose lips place brand reputation on the line |url=http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/loose-lips-place-brand-reputation-on-the-line/3008931.article |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401135401/http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/loose-lips-place-brand-reputation-on-the-line/3008931.article |archive-date=1 April 2012 |accessdate=April 12, 2012 |work=Marketing Week}} Moreover, Unilever owns Axe hygiene products, which are marketed to men using overtly sexualized women, and SlimFast diet bars;{{cite journal |last1=O'Donnell |first1=Daniel |year=2008 |title=Unilever's Dove and Axe: Examples of Hypocrisy or Good Marketing? |url=http://awpagesociety.com/images/uploads/08CaseStudy_Journal.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Case Study Competition Journal |publisher=Arthur W. Page Society |pages=39–51 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091123040208/http://www.awpagesociety.com/images/uploads/08CaseStudy_Journal.pdf |archivedate=2009-11-23}}{{cite news |author=Will Burns |date=April 23, 2013 |title=Dove, Your 'Sketches' Idea Is More Beautiful Than Your Critics Think |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/willburns/2013/04/23/dove-your-sketches-idea-is-more-beautiful-than-your-critics-think/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831080833/https://www.forbes.com/sites/willburns/2013/04/23/dove-your-sketches-idea-is-more-beautiful-than-your-critics-think/ |archive-date=31 August 2017 |accessdate=April 23, 2013 |work=Forbes}} however, Will Burns at Forbes called such criticism "irrelevant", arguing that consumers would not be able to recognize that these brands shared a parent company.

{{Reflist|20em}}

• {{cite web|first1=Nancy|last1=Etcoff|first2=Susie|last2=Orbach|first3=Jennifer|last3=Scott|first4=Heidi|last4=D’Agostino|date=September 2004|title=The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report|url=http://www.clubofamsterdam.com/contentarticles/52%20Beauty/dove_white_paper_final.pdf|publisher=Unilever|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524070948/http://www.clubofamsterdam.com/contentarticles/52%20Beauty/dove_white_paper_final.pdf|archive-date=24 May 2012|url-status=live}}

Category:Advertising campaigns

Category:Beauty

category:Unilever