Controversial Bottles
The idea of celebrating female beauty with shampoo bottles hasn't gone over as well as planned.
With its #RealBeauty campaign, Dove is celebrating the diversity of female beauty around the world. The campaign emphasizes that true beauty has nothing to do with ideals, size, or weight, but rather with contentment, self-confidence—and, of course, Dove products. Every woman is beautiful when she feels that way.
Ogilvy London has therefore brought to life an idea designed to symbolize and celebrate the various shapes and sizes of female beauty. The same product is being offered in a limited edition with different packaging designs that showcase the diversity of the female body. Large, small, round, apple-shaped, curvy, slim, etc.
Although W&V recently written, the idea deserves applause. Otherwise, though, the campaign seems to be generating little enthusiasm. It even risks backfiring. On social media, many users are reacting with mockery and sarcasm to Dove’s latest attempt to win over women. There seems to be little enthusiasm overall for comparing one’s own body to shampoo bottles.
Exactly. Where are the „four major body types“ for men? Come on, advertising industry. Stop it. https://t.co/MjKKES7AW9
— Heidi N Moore (@moorehn) May 8, 2017
sry @Dove But I already have a body wash that looks like me pic.twitter.com/uT2oAtZ9f0
— Sarah Gorman (@thesarahgorman) May 8, 2017
Can someone come over and help me measure my butt so I know which Dove body wash to buy?
— Anna Fitzpatrick (@bananafitz) May 8, 2017
Thanks, Dove, but I've already found a bottle that fits my shape. pic.twitter.com/asuo1vci0O
— Carina Hsieh (@carinahsieh) May 8, 2017
A spokesperson from Dove just crawled out of my shower drain to tell me that all bodies are beautiful and that women can play sports, too
— helena cell (@pilotbacon) May 8, 2017
A female author on Jezebel.com calls the campaign «hilariously stupid.» And in a commentary on Fortune.com, author Kristen Bellstrom writes: «I don't know about you, but I've never felt oppressed by the shape of my toiletries bottles—and I don't appreciate a company that oversimplifies the complicated issue of how our society views women's bodies.»
Perhaps the issue is a bit more complex than the London team at Ogilvy had imagined. (hae)
