Dove Campaign for Real Beauty

Media Studies 120

Ms. M. White

The Campaign

In 2004, Dove launched the very successful Campaign for Real Beauty which features real women, not models, advertising Dove's firming cream. The advertisements focus on promoting real, natural beauty, in an effort to offset the unrealistically thin and unhealthy archetypal images associated with modelling. The sentiment is articulated quite strongly through their slogan "real women have curves" as well as the campaign's Web site, which features quotes from each of the Campaign for Real Beauty models. The women share their perspectives on what real beauty is and why they wanted to be involved in the campaign.

The Campaign in Canada

In November 2005, casting agents representing Dove Canada were in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver to find a new group to participate in print and TV ads. The ads focus entirely on body image. The second phase kicked-off with a television and cinema advertisement (aired during Superbowl XL) which featured Canadian girls and adolescents aged five through fourteen. The girls share what they believe to be their own personal flaws. One dark-haired girl "wishes she were blonde." Another "thinks she's ugly." A red-haired girl "hates her freckles." The girl's statements are underscored by Cyndi Lauper's True Colors, sung by the Girl Scouts Chorus of Nassau County, N.Y. Dove - True Colors

The Dove Campaign

Dove - Evolution

Dove – Onslaught

Dove – Amy

Dove

What is the hey message, or theme, of the ad campaign?

Who is the target audience?

How do the media makers make a wide variety of people value the message they’re sending?

Your Challenge

Create a Real Beauty message board for our classroom. Contribute to the board by writing Real Beauty sayings like 'Real Beauty is being true to yourself' or 'Real Beauty is spending time with friends'. You can also contribute by collecting examples of real beauty celebrated in the media or submitting poetry or drawings on the topic.