The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, created by Dove beauty products, was launched in 2004 and aims to widen the definition of beauty after a study found that the actual definition had become unattainable and limiting for modern day women. Unfortunately, according to the a Dove Campaign only 2% of women describe themselves as beautiful worldwide. Dove intends to challenge stereotypes about beauty stereotypes by having commercials and advertisements with real women who have “real bodies and real curves”. Dove strives to educate and inspire girls and women about the deeper meaning of beauty and the many ways they can be beautiful that does not involve their outer appearance.
“Upward and downward: social comparison of thin idealized media images” by Tiggemann and Polivy found that after women were asked to read magazines and then compare themselves to the models depicted in the advertisements, their body dissatisfaction increases. This pressure to be thin and beautiful relates to the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty as both describe how women’s confidence decreases when comparing themselves to models and actresses in the media. This article is applicable to their campaign as it just reinforces the issue that women are impacted in a more negative than positive way when viewing advertisements, and this impact needs to become more positive.
Personally, I believe in the Dove Campaign and the message they are trying to send their viewers. As I look through the magazines such as Elle or Cosmopolitan, I can’t help but compare myself to the way the models look in the magazines. As many women and girls do not realize that every single photo in the magazine is manipulate, it distorts their image of what true beauty is. I am an advocate for pro social media such as the Dove Campaign because it helps show that women are more than a clear face and a size 2 pair of jeans. If more advertisements displayed their models more “realistically” I believe more than 2% or women would describe themselves as beautiful.
Leave a Reply