Advertising Forum

Re: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Eliska Dobson — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:37:51 GMT

Very well said. I think that what you wrote is spot on

Re: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Peter Martin — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:51:15 GMT

Beauty is in the eye and all that, but I rather thought the point was that societal and/or, and perhaps more importantly, industry 'standards' were imposing a rather uncomfortably high bar for what 'beauty' is. One that few can aspire to, let alone attain. Hence... be yourself, and let true beauty radiate (if with a few enhancements such as soap, scrubs, mascara and makeup... hey what do I know? Shaving foam and after shave is the extent of my facial regimen). So my take was that you don't need to 'cheat' with all you describe above as an individual, and 'the industry' (inc. media) is being pretty shallow and exclusive by using a small minority of what they deem 'perfect' models to portray an 'ideal'. Hence imposing 'rules' on shapes, textures, etc. None of these women were unattractive by any measure to this subjective male's eye, so one does already wonder what the 'cut off' was. Can anyone honestly say there were not rejections for being too [inset possible reasons for exclusion here - I wouldn't dare these days to even hint] or not enough [ditto]. Hence, having in all likelihood already gone though this selection process, it would appear certain other attributes were then either played up or down... to taste, on top. Which, IMHO, still rather cuts across the bows of 'real beauty', especially in the manner promoted, and leaves a suggestion I would thought with this disclosure some women might still find a tad 'us' vs. 'you'. Speaking as a 5' 7" guy, if some bozo men's brand started banging on how they were no longer using 6' 4" Eloid adoni (is that the plural), yet found they'd boosted some good looking 5' 6" type to 5' 10" because, well, 'short don't sell', I'd say they deserved all the vilification they got if it was a core aspect of the complementary PR. FWIW, some 'perfect' models I see in the glossies seem about as real as a plastic doll thanks to the smoothing process, and whatever 50,000 year old bits & bobs in my brain know it... and register them about as alluring as a bottle of Fairy Liquid as a consequence, so everything is still relative. Spoken as a true Morlock I know. I liked the campaign, and felt they could have done all they needed with resorting to this aspect, which has rather come back to haunt them.

Re: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Eliska Dobson — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:55:46 GMT

I will have to disagree with you here. I don't think the concept of real beauty means that slim, model-like individuals are not real. What I think the campaign tries to say is that you don't have to have plastic surgery, tonnes of make up and strict dieting to be beautiful.

Re: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Rich Leigh — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:03:34 GMT

It really does matter - I find the whole concept of 'real beauty' demeaning anyway, implying that somebody slimmer/different to those they portray is in some way artificial. It seems to me that the whole campaign has become exactly what it didn't want to be; a derisive, false attack on stereotypes.

Re: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Eliska Dobson — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:48:56 GMT

That is exactly what I was trying to say :)

Re: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Fred St. John — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:11:31 GMT

ha ha ha, it only matters if they got caught at it. Which they did and now it does put them in a bind since it contradicts their whole campaign.

Re: RE: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Eliska Dobson — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:11:46 GMT

Nikki Sandison:
I understand your point Eliska but I think you have to be realistic, Dove are trying to sell a product. Also some ordinary women do retouch their pictures using photoshop or select the best ones and delete the rest. Lots of real women wear make-up so not many people are completely natural all the time. As I said before the women in the Dove ads do look more natural than a lot of other beauty campaigns so I think that's a good thing.

Hi Nikki,

I take your point :). I do agree that "Dove women" look much more realistic than models used by other companies. Whilst I was criticising Dove for not being really real, I need to give them credit for trying to promote natural beauty. However, it depends on how much retouching on the pictures is done.

Eliska

Re: RE: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Peter Martin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:14:58 GMT

A certain irony that the word realistic is used bearing in mind the context of the thread.

Re: RE: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Nikki Sandison — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:58:40 GMT

I understand your point Eliska but I think you have to be realistic, Dove are trying to sell a product. Also some ordinary women do retouch their pictures using photoshop or select the best ones and delete the rest. Lots of real women wear make-up so not many people are completely natural all the time. As I said before the women in the Dove ads do look more natural than a lot of other beauty campaigns so I think that's a good thing.

Re: RE: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Eliska Dobson — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:21:22 GMT

I do not agree with you Nicky, if they say that it is a natural beauty then nothing should be retouched. What is the point then. The campaign says it is all about natural beauty. It promotes ordinary women. Ordinary women do not normally have the option to retouch their photos and therefore the point of the campaing is lost.

Re: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

EzzyB — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:27:11 GMT

of course it does. Its just a complete lie...dove's real beauty ads...well not so real anymore. It goes against their philosophy, its futher impyling that real beauty isnt achievable without photoshop. Erm big contradiction.

Re: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Harry Clive — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:08:44 GMT

It is very interesting how the board has split on this one and it becomes clear that it depends on the perspective you take. I can understand that consumers may feel cheated by the accusations of digital touch ups after all this may be seen as going against the entire main ethos & USP of the campaign. From an advertiser's POV, investments in this campaign should be protected and thus would argue that retouching is an evitable part of the process to ensure its success.

At what point should the line between reality and enhancement be drawn to be deemed acceptable. In this case, body firmness is the issue at heart and I therefore think we can all agree that body shape & skin imperfections that relate ie. creases but not scars should not have been altered in order to stay true to the campaign. All other elements could be completely transformed without damaging the specific products intentions.

If the allegations are correct, I do think it will damage the brands credibility in the short-term however I suspect women will continue to purchase Dove firming to a simular extent because its the subliminal messages that are important in consumer behaviour - embrace your curves. Food for thought: It is not the actual advertisement but this short ‘evolution’ film included on the website that worries me - would they really shot themselves in the foot to this extent? http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/flat4.asp?id=6909

Re: RE: RE: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Yuliya Taryanyk — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:18:14 GMT

Very professional advertising. Right message. But I understand that these girles have passed casting. They are the same height, weight and look good together. They were retouched, of course, but it doesn't matter after all I've said above ;)

RE: RE: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Sean Ruttledge — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:13:32 GMT

I like you Parker!

RE: Does it matter if Dove's real beauty ads were retouched?

Bruce Kersten — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:21:51 GMT

I think that anyone who sees a commercial photograph these days doesn't think that it has been retouched is out of touch. If that controversy continues, it should travel through all beauty and image advertising photography.