A student from LFC has asked me to pose for an image inspired by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. This is part of her college work, another finalist. I obliged, I love working with LFC students. But it set me thinking. Whatever happened to the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty? It was ditched two years ago, amidst controversy. Dove has gone back to professional models and a less 'preachy' tone, so they say.
To be honest I never really bought into the Dove campaign, even though I got to benefit from it, somehow. As a model I have on occasion referred to Dove Real Beauty to increase my modelling chances and I do acknowledge the campaign has made people aware of the possibility of diversity within the fashion and advertising industry. Wonderbra made a similar attempt in 2008, asking 'real women' to model their new pushup bra available in A to G sizes. I was part of it. I was already a model, agency signed, but who is to say that models are not real women? I was never a supermodel, so not instantly recognisable! And I am an older woman.
On a personal note, when I first joined dA in 2008, I received a DD for this photograph, which apparently had been chosen because it could have been a Dove Real Beauty campaign image. It was indeed a great compliment to me and the photographer, Terry Lee-Shield.
Now that it's done and dusted it's time to reflect on the campaign. Was there any problem with it? Well, it was a campaign to sell a beauty cream, a firming cream at that, and then the 'Pro-Age' range.
Below is the ad which was banned in the US for showing too much skin
Dove did it for profit and cashed in on women's insecurities. The women in the ads were scouted and were non-professional models, but still extremely attractive, even though a couple of sizes larger than the standard catwalk model and a few older women thrown in. Today, some of them model professionally and one of them at the time of the campaign barely qualified as non-pro as she had already appeared as a model in France. The pictures were airbrushed - all pictures used in advertising are, routinely. Dove lashed out at airbrushers, in a subsequent development of this massive campaign, as if they were doing this of their own bat, when in fact they are employed to do it and by Dove themselves - a bit hypocritical, if you ask me.
Dove did not launch a campaign for diversity, this was simply a consequence of their marketing campaign. Dove's PR and marketing machine latched on to feelings that were already being articulated, with people regularly questioning the fashion and advertising industry for its obsession with very slender, very thin children dressed up as grown up women - Sara Ziff eloquently addressed the issue in a broadcast last year following the release of footage which exposed the abuses of the fashion industry.
Dove ingeniously decided to work on this discontent to its advantage. The campaign should not be seen as anything more than a skin deep attempt to change perceptions of body image, underpinned by commercial reasons. It will take more than a marketing campaign for a firming cream to change perceptions of body image.
To be honest I never really bought into the Dove campaign, even though I got to benefit from it, somehow. As a model I have on occasion referred to Dove Real Beauty to increase my modelling chances and I do acknowledge the campaign has made people aware of the possibility of diversity within the fashion and advertising industry. Wonderbra made a similar attempt in 2008, asking 'real women' to model their new pushup bra available in A to G sizes. I was part of it. I was already a model, agency signed, but who is to say that models are not real women? I was never a supermodel, so not instantly recognisable! And I am an older woman.
Alex B in the Wonderbra 2008 campaign
Dove Real Beauty Campaign. Google images
Photographer: Terry Lee-Shield. Model: Alex B
Now that it's done and dusted it's time to reflect on the campaign. Was there any problem with it? Well, it was a campaign to sell a beauty cream, a firming cream at that, and then the 'Pro-Age' range.
Below is the ad which was banned in the US for showing too much skin
Dove did it for profit and cashed in on women's insecurities. The women in the ads were scouted and were non-professional models, but still extremely attractive, even though a couple of sizes larger than the standard catwalk model and a few older women thrown in. Today, some of them model professionally and one of them at the time of the campaign barely qualified as non-pro as she had already appeared as a model in France. The pictures were airbrushed - all pictures used in advertising are, routinely. Dove lashed out at airbrushers, in a subsequent development of this massive campaign, as if they were doing this of their own bat, when in fact they are employed to do it and by Dove themselves - a bit hypocritical, if you ask me.
Dove did not launch a campaign for diversity, this was simply a consequence of their marketing campaign. Dove's PR and marketing machine latched on to feelings that were already being articulated, with people regularly questioning the fashion and advertising industry for its obsession with very slender, very thin children dressed up as grown up women - Sara Ziff eloquently addressed the issue in a broadcast last year following the release of footage which exposed the abuses of the fashion industry.
Dove ingeniously decided to work on this discontent to its advantage. The campaign should not be seen as anything more than a skin deep attempt to change perceptions of body image, underpinned by commercial reasons. It will take more than a marketing campaign for a firming cream to change perceptions of body image.
Despite the hypocrisy, I thought it was a good step. I kind of wish they hadn't abandoned it.
ReplyDeleteThere are rumours they may relaunch it, banishing all airbrushing, with the same women who modelled before. They are scouting a photographer, so I was told.
ReplyDelete