just jaime

In 2004, Dove began their “Real Beauty Campaign” as a response to their 2003 global research study which found that “less than 2% of women feel beautiful.” [1] The Campaign for Real Beauty (CFRB) has been written about extensively so instead, I’ll be taking a look at a new campaign, “The Girl Collective,” however it is important to address the history of their body-positive campaigns to show their evolution. In brief, the CFRB advertisements were used “as a means of branding the corporation as a feminist advocate for women (although this strategy oppresses women) as well as a process of self-branding women and girls as empowered “real beauties,”” wrote Dara Persis Murray in her analysis of Dove. By positioning themselves as body positive, Dove attempts to brand themselves as feminists. Note: Dove has since made this advertisement private. Instead, enjoy a veeeeery old CFRB ad! The “Girl Collective” works in a similar way. It is meant to be a “sisterhood that builds confidence an...

Okay, it’s #RealDadMoments time. A lot of scholarly works I came across when writing this paper in 2019 focused on women and commodity feminism. But what about men? Dove has a special product line for men, Dove Men+Care (which, if you think about it, are really the same products but designed in a “manly-man” way). One of their advertisements has amassed 13.6 million views, is not just for men, but for dads. Although Dove targets a lot of their products toward women, they spread their wings in 2014 and started addressing commercials towards men.                                             This ad’s goal is to show men being loving fathers who are there for their children because Dove believes “it’s time to acknowledge the caring moments of fatherhood that often go overlooked.” [1] And Dove has a point. A lot of ads featuring dads show them as people “who incompetently diaper...

In an era where companies are latching onto political and social movements, it’s important to look at their involvement with a critical eye. This is part one of an abridged version of a paper I wrote about Dove and their supposed commitment to feminism. As society evolves, brands must follow suit and adapt in order to remain relevant. Dove is one of many companies that has embarked on a journey to evolve their brand name through what they present and suggest in their advertisements. How have they done this? Through their use of branded activism which leads into ideals of feminism, authenticity, and the body in consumer culture being challenged and presented through their advertisements. A Brief History of Dove in an Evolving Society Dove, owned by its parent company Unilever, began in 1957 in the United States with its “revolutionary new beauty cleansing Bar.” [1] Since then, Dove has been increasing its product line, creating specific lines for women, men, and infants. In 2005,...