Comments on: COMMENTARY: Did Dove Put the Touch on Real Beauty? http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-did-dove-put-the-touch-on-real-beauty.html Straight Talk on Advertising from the Client Side Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:04:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Betty http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-did-dove-put-the-touch-on-real-beauty.html#comment-165263 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:23:55 +0000 http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-did-dove-put-the-touch-on-real-beauty.html#comment-165263 Beauty has been a gift for women since ancient times. Though it sounds partial, beautiful women have always been given preference over an average looking woman. Every woman is born beautiful in some way or another. What we need to do is focus on our strong triats and enhance them and they will take care of our traits that do not resemble us in a very beautiful manner. Beauty has been a gift for women since ancient times. Though it sounds partial, beautiful women have always been given preference over an average looking woman. Every woman is born beautiful in some way or another. What we need to do is focus on our strong triats and enhance them and they will take care of our traits that do not resemble us in a very beautiful manner.

]]> by: Kiki http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-did-dove-put-the-touch-on-real-beauty.html#comment-124994 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:15:18 +0000 http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-did-dove-put-the-touch-on-real-beauty.html#comment-124994 The thinking behind the Dove campaign is rather muddled--"You're beautiful just the way you are, but buy our beauty products to cure your saggy skin." This may not actually be a problem as long as the consumers don't think about the contradictions too deeply. In fact Dove's success may be based on how they are allowing consumers to have their cake and eat it too--i.e. supporting "real beauty" while curing their cellulite. The thinking behind the Dove campaign is rather muddled–”You’re beautiful just the way you are, but buy our beauty products to cure your saggy skin.” This may not actually be a problem as long as the consumers don’t think about the contradictions too deeply. In fact Dove’s success may be based on how they are allowing consumers to have their cake and eat it too–i.e. supporting “real beauty” while curing their cellulite.

]]> by: StephanieInCA http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-did-dove-put-the-touch-on-real-beauty.html#comment-124275 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:30:03 +0000 http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-did-dove-put-the-touch-on-real-beauty.html#comment-124275 I agree that this campaign has always been a tad exploitative--buy from us because WE think your curves, freckles, wrinkles, etc are beautiful--but I still like and respect them because they show a genuine understanding of the psyche of their audience. Contrast that with VW's bizarre and rather creepy "Routan Boom" campaign-- http://urbzen.com/2008/11/06/routan-bust/ --that uses post-partum depression spokeswoman Brooke Shields to sell minivans by suggesting that women are using their pregnancies to manipulate their way into a VW minivan. What? I agree that this campaign has always been a tad exploitative–buy from us because WE think your curves, freckles, wrinkles, etc are beautiful–but I still like and respect them because they show a genuine understanding of the psyche of their audience.

Contrast that with VW’s bizarre and rather creepy “Routan Boom” campaign– http://urbzen.com/2008/11/06/routan-bust/ –that uses post-partum depression spokeswoman Brooke Shields to sell minivans by suggesting that women are using their pregnancies to manipulate their way into a VW minivan. What?

]]> by: Jonathan Salem Baskin http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-did-dove-put-the-touch-on-real-beauty.html#comment-105874 Sat, 24 May 2008 19:45:42 +0000 http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-did-dove-put-the-touch-on-real-beauty.html#comment-105874 There was always something suspicious about this campaign..not so much the imagery as the overall concept that women would want to buy beauty products that did little for them more than help them celebrate what they already looked like. Great message, I readily admit, and an important cultural statement. But was it EVER smart marketing? I could imagine a brand playing against a stereotype, like Cadillac and its latest TV spots that feature women making bold, self-satisfying statement about cars that we used to only witness from men, but not so much playing against functional purpose. Beauty products are supposed to create beauty, not be neutral on the subject. I found it interesting that little of the brand trade press ever even posed this question. So the fact that the models weren't 'perfectly imperfect' enough for the spots isn't surprising to me. There was always something suspicious about this campaign..not so much the imagery as the overall concept that women would want to buy beauty products that did little for them more than help them celebrate what they already looked like. Great message, I readily admit, and an important cultural statement. But was it EVER smart marketing? I could imagine a brand playing against a stereotype, like Cadillac and its latest TV spots that feature women making bold, self-satisfying statement about cars that we used to only witness from men, but not so much playing against functional purpose. Beauty products are supposed to create beauty, not be neutral on the subject. I found it interesting that little of the brand trade press ever even posed this question.

So the fact that the models weren’t ‘perfectly imperfect’ enough for the spots isn’t surprising to me.

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