This latest campaign by Dove is making the internet rounds.
I will admit it choked me up a little bit. It is moving. And it is true – we see all our flaws and focus on them while not seeing the whole person that we are.
This message is very valid. I have said before that women will talk and think of themselves in a way that they would never, ever let someone do to a friend or loved one. That has to stop.
There are a few things that I don’t like about the ad. Other people have talked about the lack of racial diversity or screen time for women of color.
I was sort of bothered by the slick marketing aspect of this. Dove couches sales of its *beauty* products in a message that women want to hear so they feel good about buying Dove. Why is it that your loved ones tell you this same message and you don’t believe them, but you do when a corporation tells you? ❓
I was also a bit bothered by this ad put out with its parent company being Unilever – seller of Axe brand body products. The same product with commercials that are pretty sexist and depict women as becoming sex crazed if you use their products. A company that puts out a commercial where a woman is only depicted as a headless torso with large breasts or a bunch of scantily clad young women throwing themselves at a guy. Yuck. Of course, they are marketing to young men – and that is what *they* want to hear to buy products. Again, it’s all about marketing.
Don’t ever think for a minute that a corporation really cares about you.
It’s not always just a matter of what you are being told, but who is telling it to you.
I haven’t watched it yet, but I’m sure I’ll get around to it eventually. From what I’ve read about it, the message on self-criticism is probably good, but the idea of beauty-from-a-box makes me grouchy. 🙂
I saw this yesterday on Facebook and liked the message. If only we were as forgiving of ourselves as we are with others.
I watched most of the ad. But your description of the parent company and your last two sentences are more powerful than anything they could have done.
I do use dove soap. But not because of anything they have ever said. I just use it because it seems to be the only soap I am not allergic to!
I haven’t watched the ad; I appreciate the tactic that Dove has been taking with their advertising over the last couple of years, but you are right – their number one goal is to make us buy their product. Period.
I watched the add without sound (am at work). I’m a person who isn’t influenced by advertising. Seeing an add never makes me buy products. I do use Dove bodylotion, soap and douche cream but I use it because I like the products, not because they advertise.
I do like it that they have used women of all shapes and ages in their commercials over the past years. If I could be effected by advertising this would have helped me choice their product.
Thx for this Lori. I read about this at Carla’s FB page & saw you would be posting. I gree with all your points – so valid!!! Yes, the aspect of self-criticism is good BUT…
And, YES to this: Don’t ever think for a minute that a corporation really cares about you.
It’s not always just a matter of what you are being told, but who is telling it to you.
I’ve never seen this before. I do like the overall message but I hear what you’re saying too. Part of this that’s still unsettling is the focus on physical traits. Sure we are all hard on ourselves and should love our bodies more. I think it’s easier to accept feedback from strangers because we feel they have less of a reason to lie. ie your best friend will tell you that you’re not fat because they care about you and are telling you what you want to hear – that kind of thing.
It’s interesting because years ago I used to work for Unilever. I knew firsthand the people who developed a lot of the ads years ago and it was enlightening to see how it all worked.
Maybe I’m the black sheep, but I just saw it as a commercial and that’s all… Every company has an agenda, and it’s up to you to make a choice whether to support or criticize… I’m an artist to perhaps I’m biased… 🙂
Good points. I like the commercial though. It made me think.
I see the point, but wasn’t particularly moved by the video. It would be more meaningful I think if they’d chosen someone close to the person to describe the second sketch. What bothers me about myself is that had you not pointed it out, I’m not sure I would’ve noticed the absence of diversity among the women.
I hadn’t seen that video before Lori – thanks for sharing it! That’s about the only thing that my husband and I disagree about. While I like my butt and legs, my stomach is always right there – you cannot miss this muffin top. I am always self-conscious about it and if I am talking to someone and they look down, I think “they are looking at my stomach!” My husband loves every inch of me and feels that if he’s okay with it, than I should be okay with it to.
But the same goes for him – after his colon cancer surgery his body is a bit misshapen and make him self-conscious, but those scars to me just mean that he’s survived and still with me!
Well said Lori!
I agree with your cynical take… Corporations don’t really care about us, just the bottom line. Good point in noting that they are the same corp. that makes Axe. Not only sexist, but that stuff stinks! We all know that women are hard on themselves… It’s much easier to be kind to someone else than it is to be kind to ourselves, huh?