Dove Does It Again
Goosebumps, tears, thinking of my baby girl... how will it be when she grows up? Lucky for me, Dove is working hard at promoting self esteem in young women. Check out their new commercial and click here to learn more about their initiative.
Dove is one of INO's favorite charities of choice.
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund (DSEF) was established as an agent of change to inspire and educate girls and young women about a wider definition of beauty. The DSEF is committed to help girls build positive self-esteem and a healthy body image, with a goal of reaching 5 million girls globally by 2010. The DSEF has already reached 2 million young women. Our definition of “reaching” a girl is when she has gone through an educational program that lasts at least an hour of her life.
The DSEF is part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, a global effort designed to widen today’s stereotypical view of beauty. The Fund is a global project, which consists of a network of local country initiatives linked in strategy and direction by a global steering group. In each country, the DSEF supports a specific charitable organization to help foster self-esteem.
2715 points
i love them for this. i think it's a wonderful thing to do
1855 points
It's really sad how we have put so much pressure on ourselves and each other to be unrealistically beautiful. We're all beautiful in our own way. Wish we all could realize that.
So glad Dove is doing this.
this is truely WONDERFUL!!!!!!!! i have always thought that schools should make a manditory class on self esteem and how others comments hurt people so badly!
330 points
I love what they've been doing. Is more companies did this the world would be a less scary place for young girls.
lump in throat, my little girl looks to be the age of the little one at the beginning... 8 or so? It all starts now and I am terrified.
This commercial FINALLY gets it right. What a great campaign Dove is doing!
I must admit I did not like their "real women" campaign...Yes the average woman in America is a size 12, but that doesn't mean this is right. We should not hold unrealistic expectations of beauty, but we should also not go the other extreme and coddle unhealthy body types. Unless you're 5'10" or taller, there is nothing healthy about a size 12. Period.
300 points
I have seen this commercial on TV. It is sooooo true. Glad Dove is doing something positive!
Yeah, women put pressure on women.
It's sad that we women can't work together.
300 points
Love this. So glad they're doing it!
300 points
Love this. So glad they're doing it!
I don't even have a daughter, yet I'm all teary-eyed!
300 points
same here!!
300 points
This is such an amazing initiative! You know things are not right when EVERYONE who is in the spotlight is on some sort of diet. That is so ridiculous! Are all of them overweight or is our idea of beautiful a little too unrealistic?
In my opinion, Dove's campaign is a great first step.
I hope the objective in the long run is to get people to realise that no, we're not ALL beautiful, but the point is we don't need to be beautiful to be happy. It's like being rich. We're definitely not ALL rich (and God knows we would want to) but that's not necessary in order to achieve happiness. I think this is important to understand, because it's a sincere approach. We know for a fact that some people are beautiful and some aren't, but what? Does that mean they don't deserve to be loved and have a fulfilled life? Course not.
If we go with the "we're all beautiful" speech, we're not only not being sincere, but also supporting the idea that only the beautiful can be happy.
Ok, if you made it this far in my endless rant, thanks for reading my two cent comment.
Be aware. Dove is a brand owned by huge multi-national corporation, Unilever, which also owns brands such as Rexona, Sunsilk, Vaseline and a weight loss product called Slim Fast. This last product certainly doesn't fit in with the self-acceptance of the Dove advertising campaign. Also, the advertising for their other cosmetic brands often perpetuates the stereotypical ideal of female beauty that Dove claims to fight. The Dove advertising campaign is a very cleverly orchestrated attempt to set the brand apart from others in appealing to women's insecurities about their looks, and associating the brand with acceptance of women in all their shapes and sizes. The ad which has been posted above does appear all warm and fuzzy, but this in reality is just another advertising ploy. Supporting self-esteem workshops while selling other products which perpetuate the very myth Dove claims to be fighting reeks of hypocrisy. Please don't view me as a spoil-sport, cynical b*tch. Look up Unilever dot com and find the proof for yourself. Google and you will find many articles criticizing the Dove campaign. Buy Dove products by all means if you like the product for itself, but Unilever is duping you if you believe the hype which goes with the product.
300 points
Ok, Passerby... so they're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts (which really doesn't surprise anyone), but if the outcome is beneficial let's take it. I'm not buying any more Dove products than I was before, but I still think these workshops are a good thing. This is clearly a clever move to reach the whole spectrum of the market (those obsessed with fitness and appearance as well as those who go for accepting their looks as they are), but like I said, if it helps, why not using it?
In answer to your assertion that if it helps, why not use it, I just question whether the end justifies the means. On the surface it appears wonderful that they are engaged in charitable work aimed at raising the status and self-esteem of women, but their real objective is to run a successful advertising program and make profits from the Dove brand products. If the Dove brand was a stand alone brand, or a brand of a reputable company which stood by their ethics for all their brands, I would have no trouble with this. It would be a win-win situation. It is the fact that the Dove brand is owned by one of the largest corporations in the world, which also sells products using advertising strategies which contradict the Dove message, that causes me concern. The company is being less than honest and in doing so, I feel women are actually being taken for a ride in exactly the same way they are by advertising which narrowly stereotypes female beauty. As a consumer, and a woman, being lied to and having my perceived insecurities used in a very clever advertising campaign does nothing to raise my self-esteem. I feel that I am just being taken for a sucker again. As for the little girl in the ad, they can also let her know that she can have more beautiful hair than all other girls by using Sunsilk hair products, and if she does get too fat, she can count on Unilever's Slim Fast product. This brings tears to my eyes...
300 points
Oh, I do see your point, and I do agree with you. You and I see that as adults. What I mean is that if people like you and me can use those workshops as (not the only one) but one more means of teaching our kids to respect and love themselves for what they are, then they won't be interested in the Sunsilk hair products or in Slim Fast because they won't need to prove anything to anyone about themselves. It's something that we as parents/educators can use in our favour, even if we know that these people do it just for money.
I've studied advertising and social communication and I know that ethics are not a big part of it, but this is a reality we have to live with, so I try to use in my/my kids benefit. Anyway... you don't have to agree, but it's still nice to be able to have a conversation in this level. I hope you see it this way too, passerby :)
Yes, I agree that it has to be the role of parents and educators (I am a parent and teacher) to offer girls (and boys) alternatives to the stereotypes constantly pushed on them by the media, and its main supporter, being advertising. Allowing corporations to take over this role and set the agenda is asking for trouble because their real motive, being in business, is to make money. There has to be a conflict of interest because the whole idea of advertising is to create a need in a person to buy a product, and associate brands with particular lifestyle characteristics and personal attributes, such as physical attractiveness. Media studies and the role advertising plays in modern, western societies in influencing self perception and personal goals should be part of every school curriculum, so that kids grow up able to make informed decisions, and don't just accept what is being presented to them through advertising as given. When surveys show that the number one concern of teenage girls and young women is body image, (and these numbers are also increasing for teenage boys and young men), an advertising campaign like Dove appeals because it sends the message that we are all acceptable despite the inability of the majority of us to ever come near the yardstick of physical beauty traditionally promoted by ads for cosmetic products. Supporting charities (tax deductable of course!) and running workshops further reinforces Dove's image of offering an alternative. Sure, there will be girls who benefit from these activities, but at the same time, Unilever runs ad campaigns for other products which completely contradict the Dove message. And to Edith, you are correct in naming a product called "Axe", also owned by Unilever. The advertising campaign for this product uses women in a highly stereotypical and sexualized way. This is why we cannot "pass the buck" and allow corporations to dictate through their advertising campaigns what we should be thinking about ourselves in any shape or form, without questioning their motives. The hypocrisy and outright dishonesty demonstrated by Unilever in running the Dove campaign is difficult enough for adults to be made aware of, so what chance do our kids have without the support of their parents and educators?
300 points
Yeah Dove (be proud of who you are, blah blah blah) and Axes (uses women bodies to promote their products in a really sexist way) have the same owner. So seriously it really is just b.s. to me.
300 points
If you're interested on this topic, someone made a really interesting video on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwDEF-w4rJk
Hey, Edith, from Passerby above. Had a look at the filmclip you recommended on youtube. FANTASTIC! Love the way they change the slogan to, "Talk to your daughter before Unilever does". I have not seen the "Axe" ads before, only read about them, because the product is not (yet) available in the country where I live. Unbelievable! If anything could be more at odds with the Dove campaign, this ad would have to be it! There are also banned versions of ads for "Axe" included which take the use of associating a product with physical and sexual attractiveness to a whole new level. If anybody has doubts about the hypocrisy of the Dove campaign, PLEASE take a look at the clips Edith suggests.
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