Great Self Confidence

...to live the life you want

That Dove Photo Thing

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I’ve mentioned the Dove Self Esteem Campaign before, I think in Self Esteem Exercises.  Its easy to be cynical about their motives – at the end of the day they are still marketing soap!

But as various surveys always seem to conclude that the majority of teenage girls want to change the way they look, then their campaign has merit. Dove say they are:-

"very commited to freeing the next generation from self-limiting beauty stereotypes"

That might be rather optimistic, as those stereotypes are deep seated and constantly being reinforced. Its been around for a while, but I only saw this video the other day. Personally I think its quite powerful, and says a lot in 75 seconds. What do you think? Have Dove helped women improve their self esteem?

Comments

  6. It is an eye opener. We all know how they manipulate images but it is good that they show it. While being on holidays in South America I got to see a Dove Latin America commercial (one thing I like to do when I travel is watch TV, both shows and commercials, I believe they do say a lot about a country contemporary culture). The TV commercial was for Dove’s cream and showed woman from different ages and body sizes, which is great because it shows that they are being coherent with their campaign. Although I am sure that they did arrange their hair and put make up on them –although they looked very natural- it is great to see a brand that ventures to change and defy the strict model of beauty (by having a perfectly “ordinary” cream commercial but with no models) while being efficient on a marketing and branding level, appealing to the majority of woman.
    One thing that I am used to seeing on TV and that terribly bothers me as a woman is the way woman usually get praised by their beauty. Of course we like being told that we look fantastic (something that workers in South America love to do a bit to much…) but it feels that if you are young and all right looking, man are always going to praise you for your looks and not for your intelligence or any, any other thing…When a TV host receives a female guest, the first thing he is going to say is that she looks beautiful, notice that when there is a male guest instead, the comment is going to be different.
    We used to be seen as child makers (an woman that could have many kids were admired), in other words (an I apologize for the expression), seen as walking wombs and now, I feel it is even worse, because the appreciation is merely superficial.
    I would like to leave one of my favourite Shakespeare sonnets (130) that, although it is referring and mocking the metaphors established by Petrarch (Petrarca), an Italian poet, I find to be very suitable for this subject.

    My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
    Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
    If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
    If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
    I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
    But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
    And in some perfumes is there more delight
    Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
    I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
    That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
    I grant I never saw a goddess go;
    My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
    And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
    As any she belied with false compare.

  8. We will never know, but the bottom line has to be her attitude towards herself – if she depends on the opinions of others for her SE, then it may do. If she has unconditional self regard, then it should make no difference.