Impossible beauty standards have run rampant and remained the only constant in the world of womens media. The expectation of flawless skin, a tiny nose, the perfect physique, and countless other features that supposedly determine your worth in this day and age prevail with little restraint or backlash from society. These assured traits as well as the campaigns that constantly support and simultaneously contradict them have been a staple in the female mind for centuries. Through these innumerable crusades to belittle and inflict self-doubt upon the members of the fairer sex, one question seems to lay in the forefront of our minds: what do others find beautiful? The Dove Beauty campaign however, was fed up with the retouched photos and impractical beliefs poisoning the minds of both young girls and mature women. This skewed perception of what beauty is was about to be on full display in a way the world had never seen before. The Dove Beauty campaign is complete with a series of short-films, advertisements, and workshops tailored to women of all ages, however their very first campaign ad for Dove Beauty not only kick-started a movement of body positivity but empowered and essentially rescued a generation from a cycle of implicit self-hatred.
The first ever Dove Beauty ad aired nearly a decade ago, consistent with a time of unbridled physical and facial expectations. In a world of pro-ana tumblr accounts, thigh-gap supremacy, and rail thin supermodels flooding the runways, Dove was the relief this country was in desperate need of. Perfection had its moment, well its many moments, and natural beauty was about to take its place on the pedestal. The societal exigence this revolutionary campaign aimed to address lies within the declining mental and physical health of women throughout the country. A surge in disordered eating, over exercising, and excessive body checking was rapidly taking a toll on our society. In addition to growing health concerns, plastic surgery was on the rise and gaining massive popularity through the outlet of reality television. Dove Beauty emerged in a fit of fury and released an ad that made it palpably clear where their loyalties lie. This renegade of a campaign reached the audience of the feminine variety. Ranging from young girls on the verge of pubescence to fully evolved grown women, this message was one of inclusion and progression. While the specific genre of Dove’s Beauty campaign falls under the category of an advertisement, it communicated a story of genuine acceptance. The product that was attempting to be sold may have been soap, but the end result was nothing short of selling its audience on the idea of self-love. The campaign enhanced Dove’s quality through the impeccable use of devout authenticity. The brand showcased its compassion for womens bodies and in the process, became recognized for so much more than hygienic legacy. The purpose of this advertisement lies in an unwavering thirst to uncover the true beauty beneath the make-up, touch-ups, and digital face tune.
The woman presented as the main character within the advertisement was chosen with the intention to make a very clear statement. Those women we view in magazines, on billboards, and across all social media platforms simply do not exist. The woman at the beginning of the advertisement is not even the same entity by the end of it. Initially, she appears natural and untouched complete with wrinkles, blemishes, acne, and dark spots. As her transformation ensues, makeup is applied to cover these marks. Adjoining this step is the drastic retouching, resizing, and repositioning of her facial and bodily features. Her character is originally relatable and then swiftly modified into someone we’re meant to envy rather than accept. The distinctive nature of this advertisement’s emotional appeal lies in the apathy portrayed on the woman’s face throughout her transfiguration. She sits in front of the mirror, seemingly lifeless as her make-up artists get to work. Her expression remains stagnant, exuding the evident portrayal of hopelessness, helplessness, and complete and utter exhaustion. The fatigue illustrated across her expressionless face chronicles the fatigue of women everywhere. The fatigue that comes with beauty standards being shoved down our throats, the fatigue of never being able to meet said beauty standards, and predominantly the fatigue of staying silent in the face of it all. The discernable logical appeal of Dove’s Beauty campaign resides in the effort necessary to be considered beautiful. There is not a person alive that is capable of such perfection, not without the use of digital and cosmetic alteration. By addressing these behind the scenes techniques, Dove is revealing to the audience how illogical it is to believe these models offer a realistic and attainable standard of beauty. The disgusting ability to alter one’s features in such a drastic and unrecognizable way sheds light on the irrational image society has come to expect from women.
The economy-based considerations of Dove as a whale as well as the Dove Beauty campaign is highly inclusive and accessible to a wide range of consumers. Considering this advertisement was meant to reach women of all ages, races, and incomes, its position remains economically perceptible. The campaign itself is not specifically targeted to a certain class, rather it has positioned itself to display this message regardless of background or economic division. Dove holds a very firm policy in regards to the social-equity based considerations of its brand: commitment to a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable world for all. This notion is immensely obvious in Dove’s Beauty campaign as they express their resentment for the unachievable, manipulated, or so-called flawless images that flood most beauty movements. The Dove Beauty campaign features women of different ages, sizes, and ethnicities which is directly in line with their superior consideration for social-equity based practices. Famously, Dove has placed concerns for the environment at the forefront of their major campaigns. The company wants to contribute to a future where there is more nature tomorrow than there is today. While the Dove Beauty campaign approaches sustainability measures inadvertently, the new initiatives for cutting carbon emissions, reducing waste, and protecting nature deserve an honorable mention. The educational component or lesson this advertisement elucidates is that unattainable beauty standards aren’t always what they seem. These deceiving images have created an illusion of perfection that simply does not exist. The campaign additionally revolves around the hope that one’s natural beauty will be celebrated in place of the self-loathing society has encouraged for centuries now. Through this emerging and growing beauty campaign, Dove began teaching women everywhere that real beauty is objective and specific to you. The creativity of this advertisement is observable based on the rebellious variety of this campaign alone. To go completely against what every other magazine, commercial, or media platform was preaching at the time was not only inventive but categorically ingenious. The campaign only continued to inspire a sense of consciousness to its audience by displaying the hidden truth behind what cosmetic companies attempt to conceal. I believe this incited a sense of compassion for both ourselves and every woman who has had to watch themselves be picked apart before they are permitted to be presented to the world. Rather than comparing ourselves to the women we deem as the standard of beauty or perfection, this campaign had the remarkable effect of linking us all together. Women everywhere are connected through the feelings of inadequacy that precede comparison and through the rhetoric of this campaign, those feelings became a shared experience of grief and eventually hope for the expectant future.
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