Dove's Campaign For Real Beauty

Dove’s Shift of Interest

Dove is known for commercials featuring soap without residue, lotion that moisturizes for twenty-four hours, and deodorant that smooths razor bumps on the underarms. Not until recently has the Dove corporation extended

the challenge of acceptance to themselves; a large profit corporation in the beauty industry. With the idea that beauty is something acquired out of a bottle, an idea that is photographed and filmed, composed of certain textures and colors that are acceptable, and further, a number on the scale. Although the image of beauty was reaping profit for Dove, they felt a different angle of advertising was needed. What they needed was something different than all the other companies; what they found is a new image of beauty. Dove goes where all the other industries dared not, to the consumer. Rather than upholding the idea that our products will change you into someone “beautiful”, Dove says, our products will show your individual beauty. With this in mind, Dove set forward with the Campaign for Real Beauty.

Appeal to Consumers

As a consumer, one will notice the continual pressures as to what a woman should look like; thin body, long hair, short hair, curly hair, straight hair, blond hair, black hair, pale skin, tan skin, freckles, dimples, long eyelashes and on and on. I think the overall rhetorical purpose of the campaign is to readdress what constitutes beauty. The idea of beauty is in the hands of peers and dove wishes to address this subject. They hope to inspire trust and understanding of all women, which

will in turn, sway them to buy dove products. The idea that a corporation would take the time and money to defy society’s norm, in order to please the consumer is very appealing. I think that it has a great deal of kairos, especially. because of models’ thinning throughout the fashion industry. Now is a time in history where “different” is accepted and sometimes even exalted above the ordinary. No matter what the appearance, Dove extends the challenge to accept others as beautiful, and more importantly yourself.

Blue Themed Page
Blue as a background color is effective in many ways. One way is how blue signifies the openness of a mind to new ideas or freedom of thought and is also very ethos appealing due to the soft hue. Psychologically cooler hues are used to calm the viewer, due to the naturist fact that blue is in the sky and essential element water. Blue works positively to draw the audience in by showing the carefree feeling of being accepted as beautiful. Also the blue shows the cool and calm idea of truth, which they are convincing the viewers of .The white as a background is the ultimate sign of purity and peace. Purity and peace offset the overwhelming battle of beauty media versus one’s positive self-image.

Also, ethos due to the soothing aspect of the white space, which helps draw attention to main objects on the page. It helps viewers focus on the blue objects of importance. The two combined create cleanliness and an idea

of simplicity. The theory of simplicity and cleanliness is a direct contradiction with other beauty companies who show drastically complex and busy advertisements. The blue image of the world shows how universal beauty is, and that dove is accomplishing something international. This type of unity that a buyer would feel is logos; that you are participating in something greater than yourself. Not only are you contributing to yourself, but others helps the campaign philosophy to progress. A campaign such as this shows the buyer that dove is more than just beauty products and a consumer is more than what beauty products make them.

Small Text, Big Statements

The “dove self-esteem fund”, this is one of two phrases on the clean

page. The dove corporation shows that not only is the image and opinion of beauty on the brink of change, but that through changing and accepting many kinds of beauty, self esteem around the world will increase; a worthy cause for a few dollars. Dove draws a simple but profound correlation between beauty and self-esteem. With the acceptance of beauty and self-esteem being intermingled, a consumer or donor can see the importance of the campaign. The other text on the page is “campaign for real beauty worldwide”. The use of the word campaign shows that it is a cause to be fought for. Real beauty worldwide is implying that we don’t see everyone in the world as beautiful, and addresses this issue to the viewer to breakdown that bias and help others to feel beautiful by donating. Above the collage of young girls the statement “Redefining beauty in their own words” is placed. Pathos is used in the previous phrase mainly to emphasize the positive effects the dove campaign have had on young girls. True the dove campaign helps all ages of women see their beauty, but they chose the younger generation to produce a more pathetic issue.

Pictures Worth 2,000 Words
Next there are the pictures grouped in three sections. Another good use of space: threes. The first is of two women, one old one young, perhaps mother daughter. They are hugging, which assumes that if esteem and

beauty are high, positive relations will be. Another mix of pathos and logos. The next pictures are of two young girls. Both of diverse ethnicities, and in plain clothing. A viewer would recognize the ordinary clothing of the girls

because it is never seen in advertisements, this true life picture shows the ability to be yourself. The diversity of the girls depicts to the viewer the importance of helping those in need, and challenges them to see the beauty in everyone, even simple, cute girls such as are presented. Perhaps the most famous photos form the campaign are those of women in white undergarments. The simple white again is presented, as to not distract from the beauty of the models. The simple face that they are in intimate clothing sends the statement of confidence and self acceptance. The women are of all different hair colors, skin color, height and weight; further confirming that beauty is universal.

Is the Dove Campaign a Crusade?
Speculation could be brought upon the Dove Corporation. Some questions have been raised as to a campaign such as this is helpful to Dove. One would ask, Is Dove doing this for profit? What were Dove’s intentions? It is common knowledge that consumers would wish to support a cause and will buy Dove product. Is Dove simply using our emotions to sell a new company image? All of these questions are reasonable to ponder and are even necessary to wonder if one is to be a informed buyer. One is bombarded with tools of rhetoric everyday to make you think and feel certain ways, and as outlined, Dove was very successful at this. Dove has created the ultimate balance between color, picture and text to feed our persuasive minds. However effective these tools might be, the choice is still the consumers to buy. It is simply a matter of what the mind is allowed to be subjective to. In this case, one can’t assume that Dove’s art of rhetoric means trickery, neither can it assume that it is purely for women’s self-esteem increase. Whichever the choice, one must recognize the good that has come of the campaign and grant credit and gratitude. For if beauty has to start with anyone, it is those who use the word.