Anyone who uses social media or watches television has more likely than not seen Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. In 2004, Dove started The Campaign for Real Beauty in which they featured “real” women. Especially women whose physical appearances go against stereotypical ideals of beauty. The campaign focused on the idea that young girls and women are presented with unrealistic ideas of beauty. In 2010 and 2011, the campaign took off, yet again, essentially continuing to emphasize the media’s misrepresentation of women along with the unattainable standards of beauty that are continuously put into advertising.
Now I’m sure you are wondering where I am going with this, right? I mean one would think that Dove rocks and their intentions go further than just wanting to sell soap, no? I would like to think that Dove is striving to do more than just sell their soap to their target audience- the 95% of the world that do no look like Kendall Jenner- however I’m on the fence.
Dove is in fact owned by a company called Unilever, a company that prides itself on creating positive impact through it’s 400 brands. Here’s the catch, Unilever is also the owner of the well known company that goes by the name Axe.
For those of you who are unaware, Axe is a line of men’s grooming items such as body sprays, deodorants, etc. While I have nothing negative to say about the products themselves, their advertisements are a different story. It’s no secret that Axe has a history of “questionable” advertisements.
So I think one of the biggest questions here is how can a company that promotes such positive body image ideals do so much to diminish it all at the same time? Is The Campaign for Real Beauty really just a fraud and an attempt to buy soap? I ask because it seems like the objectification of women and the reinforcement of impossible body ideals are reoccurring themes in Axe campaigns. All I have to say is, I’m not buying it.