Dove's Campaign for 'Real Beauty': An Analysis - Essay Example

Dove's Campaign for 'Real Beauty An Analysis Dove, as a brand of beauty soap, manufactured by Unilever is knownglobally for focusing on product features such as gentleness and safe to use as it makes the skin softer, blemish free, and natural looking. Like any other brand of beauty soap in the global market, it relies on advertisements and promotional campaign to entice its target audience to patronize the product and develop brand loyalty. In one of its ad campaigns, there seemed to be a controversial stir generated by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty (CFRB) in terms of the organization’s advertisers’ strategy that promoted using models deemed to feature “real women whose appearances are outside the stereotypical norms of beauty” (Unilever par. 3). Admittedly, the promoters indicated that the CFRM was intended to “provoke discussion and encourage debate” (Unilever par. 2). In this regard, Dove CFRM would hereby be described and evaluated in terms of the type of communication used and relayed, the message, the target audience and determine its impact on consumers. Description of Dove’s CFRM Dove’s CFRM showcased a line of six women, not popular artists or celebrities, from different age groups, cultural orientations, and physiques. The focal ad line reads: “Real women have real curves” (Dove's campaign for 'Real Beauty'). The message acknowledges that real women are featured to appreciate the fact that the product targets women with natural curves in whatever sizes, ages, or skin type and color. Source: Ad Review: Dove's campaign for 'Real Beauty' As depicted, there were different communication styles used by changing the size of the font and using colors for highlight. Likewise, the campaign’s invitation to roll over each woman to apparently provide more information on their personal stories added emotional appeal. There were intricate sub-messages that provided detailed explanation for featuring these women as promoters in their campaign. The promoters used logical appeal by explaining that “when the Campaign for Real Beauty focused on the idea that girls are bombarded with unrealistic, unattainable images and images of beauty that impact their self-esteem, the brand teamed up with the entertainment industry to show that what girls see in movies and magazines represents an unrealistic standard of beauty” (Unilever par. 8). Thus, there is a need that could be capitalized which focuses on real women and catering the product to these target market. As intended, the message evidently indicates that the target audience is “all women, all ages and of all sizes” (Brodbeck and Evans: Audience par. 1). The advertisers veered away from featuring stereotyped models showcasing perfectly thin and slim curves and boasting of clear skins and hair which do not apparently need the use of beauty products. Therefore, as intended, the message elicited vast responses and reactions from all walks of life and proved to be successful in its provocation for debate and discussion. The strategy was therefore considered effective and successful since stirring considerable audience impact (whether through positive or negative reaction) means that awareness to the product is enhanced. Impact on Consumers From the study made by Brodbeck and Evans, it was disclosed that: “overwhelmingly, the response of the media applauded the campaign, however CFRB was also criticized. In national and local newspapers and journals, CFRB was written about, debated and the press received responses from the public in the form of letters, online voting, and message boards. Of the 22 articles we found over a time period of 4 years (2004-2007), 17 articles covered CFRB positively, praising the campaign. Only five articles criticized the campaign” (Brodbeck and Evans: In the News par. 1). The information provided in the study could just be limited given the number of articles published relaying reactions towards the CFRB (where 77% reacted positively, and only 23% criticized the ad). However, other variables that signified the campaign’s success included the following: (1) “the campaign generated more than 650 million impressions during the summer of 2005; (2) according to Dove, sales for the products featured in the ads increased 600 percent in the first two months of the campaign; and (3) as of June 2005, more than 1 million visitors had logged onto www.campaignforrealbeauty.com and shared their thoughts about the campaign” (Brodbeck and Evans: Evaluation pars. 5 - 7). These facts indicate an overwhelming success for Unilever and for promoting Dove using the CFRB. Personally, one found the CFRB effective since women have acknowledged that beauty actually lies within. As such, by promoting the product featuring women who ordinary people see every day, the organization was able to establish credibility and affirmed their entrenched ability to understand the needs of women from all ages and walks of life. Likewise, despite featuring these real women, the same universal message was relayed: that women still appreciates the need to feel beautiful through the use of a product they could depend on and that would enhance their natural beauty, as well as deemed to be safe to use by a wider range of audience. Through the CFRB, Dove was able to revitalize awareness to the brand which was significantly needed to entice repeat customer purchase and invite others to try their products. Overall, Dove’s CFRB was effective and successful since the initial aim for its creation: to provoke discussion and debate was actually achieved. Likewise, the brand received significant response and reaction that improved sales; enhanced product awareness; enjoined real women to unite and continuously patronize the product; as well as reaffirm that beauty is not solely for models, artists or celebrities – but for real women who people get to interact with on a day to day basis. As emphasized, “Dove became the trendsetter, innovator and a breath of fresh air in the beauty industry. Dove challenged the industry to see women as they really are: beautiful in their own unique way” (Brodbeck and Evans: Our Opinion par. 3). Works Cited Brodbeck, M. and E. Evans. "Dove Campaign for Real Beauty Case Study." 5 March 2007. Public Relations Problems and Cases. 10 December 2012 . "Dove's campaign for 'Real Beauty'." 9 October 2010. Ad Review. 10 December 2012 . Unilever. "The Dove® Campaign for Real Beauty." 2012. Web. 10 December 2012 . Read More