The many faces of Dove
If there is one corporation I am happy to acknowledge for their efforts in positive advertising it is Dove. Considering advertising seems to leak into every orifice of our daily lives, and we are constantly sent messages that we are not good enough, that we need fixing in some way, Dove's advertising is a breath of fresh air. Their campaign for real beauty is one I wouldn't mind being bombarded by. In fact, I purposefully expose myself to their ads via the videos on their website.
Two upcoming campaigns from Dove are a Canada wide sleepover and a Play.
About the play, from their website:
"91% of women age 50 - 64 believe it’s time to change the way society thinks about aging. Body & Soul, a new stage production commissioned by Dove, aims to do just that.
Internationally-acclaimed playwright Judith Thompson worked with a cast of 12 real Canadian women, ages 45 to 78, to create this play. A provocative tapestry of their own life stories, their passions, their traumas, their dreams and their joys, it reveals the awe-inspiring beauty of each and every woman."
Running May 10-17th at the Young Centre for the performing arts.
Naturally, with this good news comes the bad. Dove is owned by Unilever, a company with stakes in everything from ice cream (Ben and Jerry's) to laundry detergent.
From Responsible Shopper:
"Unilever is an international consumer products giant selling tea, ice cream, fabric softener, and much more. In attaining its current status, Unilever has engaged in a range of abuses nearly as broad as its production line. Child labor, unsustainable terms of trade, and corporate influence are among the most troubling offenses carried out by the company. Unilever is the world's largest tea supplier and has been targeted for profiting richly from the hardship of Indian tea farmers. The company fails to apply fair trade principles to the tea trade, forcing farmers deeper into poverty as tea prices continue to drop. Additionally, Unilever has been known to employ bribery to gain privileged market access in developing countries. Unilever's community work, from lake conservation in the Philippines to medical assistance for children in Vietnam, are commendable and have earned it praise among social responsibility advocates. However, for the size and scope of its economic interests Unilever is making little positive impact compared to the negative effects of its trade practices."
Dove has a quiz in their Girls Zone, called My Body: Fact and Fiction. One of the questions asks: Reading fashion magazines can make me feel bad about myself. Answer: Fact. "Many studies have shown that the more young women read fashion magazines, the worse they feel about themselves. Maybe because the main purpose of the magazine is for advertisers to get their message out...but most of the time the message is that you could be thinner, have clearer skin, less hairy, smell better, have whiter teeth, and larger breasts. Companies want you to spend your money perfecting yourself with THEIR products. Something to think about, what happens if you can't afford all of those products? What happens if you like yourself with curly hair but the ads make you want to change it to straight? What happens if you bought the products and still look the same? That's when self esteem takes a plunge...when girls think they are the only ones who can't achieve the perfection promised in a magazine." All of these messages, brought to you by Dove, a company that wants you to spend your money on their beauty products.
Another question in the quiz is "Girls should not go on weight loss diets" and the correct answer is "Fact". Apparently they realize its not okay for girls to diet to ensure their bodies grow healthy, but as soon as they become women, Slim-Fast (also owned by Unilever) is right there to help them get rid of those excess pounds. It seems Unilever is pro-age but not anti-diet.
So how does one negotiate between praising a company for its efforts in beginning to change the face of advertising with expensive ad campaigns aimed at sending positive messages about bodies and beauty, and chastising them for their lack of responsible corporate actions?
Two upcoming campaigns from Dove are a Canada wide sleepover and a Play.
About the play, from their website:
"91% of women age 50 - 64 believe it’s time to change the way society thinks about aging. Body & Soul, a new stage production commissioned by Dove, aims to do just that.
Internationally-acclaimed playwright Judith Thompson worked with a cast of 12 real Canadian women, ages 45 to 78, to create this play. A provocative tapestry of their own life stories, their passions, their traumas, their dreams and their joys, it reveals the awe-inspiring beauty of each and every woman."
Running May 10-17th at the Young Centre for the performing arts.
Naturally, with this good news comes the bad. Dove is owned by Unilever, a company with stakes in everything from ice cream (Ben and Jerry's) to laundry detergent.
From Responsible Shopper:
"Unilever is an international consumer products giant selling tea, ice cream, fabric softener, and much more. In attaining its current status, Unilever has engaged in a range of abuses nearly as broad as its production line. Child labor, unsustainable terms of trade, and corporate influence are among the most troubling offenses carried out by the company. Unilever is the world's largest tea supplier and has been targeted for profiting richly from the hardship of Indian tea farmers. The company fails to apply fair trade principles to the tea trade, forcing farmers deeper into poverty as tea prices continue to drop. Additionally, Unilever has been known to employ bribery to gain privileged market access in developing countries. Unilever's community work, from lake conservation in the Philippines to medical assistance for children in Vietnam, are commendable and have earned it praise among social responsibility advocates. However, for the size and scope of its economic interests Unilever is making little positive impact compared to the negative effects of its trade practices."
Dove has a quiz in their Girls Zone, called My Body: Fact and Fiction. One of the questions asks: Reading fashion magazines can make me feel bad about myself. Answer: Fact. "Many studies have shown that the more young women read fashion magazines, the worse they feel about themselves. Maybe because the main purpose of the magazine is for advertisers to get their message out...but most of the time the message is that you could be thinner, have clearer skin, less hairy, smell better, have whiter teeth, and larger breasts. Companies want you to spend your money perfecting yourself with THEIR products. Something to think about, what happens if you can't afford all of those products? What happens if you like yourself with curly hair but the ads make you want to change it to straight? What happens if you bought the products and still look the same? That's when self esteem takes a plunge...when girls think they are the only ones who can't achieve the perfection promised in a magazine." All of these messages, brought to you by Dove, a company that wants you to spend your money on their beauty products.
Another question in the quiz is "Girls should not go on weight loss diets" and the correct answer is "Fact". Apparently they realize its not okay for girls to diet to ensure their bodies grow healthy, but as soon as they become women, Slim-Fast (also owned by Unilever) is right there to help them get rid of those excess pounds. It seems Unilever is pro-age but not anti-diet.
So how does one negotiate between praising a company for its efforts in beginning to change the face of advertising with expensive ad campaigns aimed at sending positive messages about bodies and beauty, and chastising them for their lack of responsible corporate actions?