Just Make It Better

I was clipping coupons the other night and came across one for Dove.

It had a woman in her underwear, obviously a “real” woman because she was average looking and had the smallest belly roll and it seemed so gimmicky to me.

Dove’s marketing position is to appeal to real women who wanted to be represented in the media. Or to women who are tired of being sold the mass media’s underweight, blonde, perfect version of sexy. Or to insecure women who feel good supporting a brand that ‘makes them feel good about being normal’.

It was all too contrived for me.

The model was pretty enough for print, still thinner then the average woman and the entire text was a branding of how much Dove cares.

And that’s why I did not buy it.

Marketing is mostly about showing and telling the world what they want you to think of them. It’s all about image, not authenticity. This promotion of real beauty isn’t a genuine reflection of their stance on the media’s representation of women.

If it really mattered they would start using real images and real people everyday, all the time.

So when Dove slaps these campaigns all over the place, they are saying they care much more about you liking them and their positioning in the marketplace then they are about making us feel better. These efforts are mostly to sell a brand’s image and therefore a product.

If they wanted to change society they would just do it.

Yes perhaps some executives over at Dove actually want us to get some self esteem and share it with our daughters, but the next time you weigh the merit of a good intention, first consider what’s in it for them, then consider whether or not they would’ve done it if no one was looking.

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