In today’s society, commercials and advertisements are prevalent everywhere you look. Whether on the side of a moving bus or on late night television, advertising and the message behind it can resonate with millions of individuals worldwide. A great example of this can be seen in Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty” which started in 2004 after conducting research that proved only 2 percent of women worldwide believed they were beautiful. Since then, Dove has put in motion numerous advertisements depicting women of all shapes and sizes, challenging the status quo that only slender, tall and refined women are beautiful.
In 2005, Dove revamped their message by using six real, curvaceous women to promote their brand and to stir the pot. The most historic moment in the campaign aroused in 2006 when Spain banned overly thin models from fashion runaways since it spoke to the heart of the issue Dove is promoting. Dove went on to produce a short film, Evolution, showing a transformation of a real woman into a model and unveiling how unrealistic ideals of beauty are created.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XF66Ku4a9U
In 2007, Dove began focusing on women of older age and how they, too, can be beautiful regardless of age. Currently, the company is concentrating on the “Movement for Self Esteem” which emphasizes women mentoring other women and promoting a message that they are beautiful regardless of society’s preconceived notion of what beauty is.
By targeting women of all ages and sizes, Dove has made a huge impact with their marketing techniques and overall sales. Instead of using skinny models, they use real life women who haven’t been photo shopped which can resonate with a multitude of women. The “Campaign for Real Beauty” has surpassed company expectations due to the fact they exceeded the $1 billion mark in 2004 alone. Within the first six months in the United States, there was a 600% increase for the products used in the ads and a 700% increase in Europe for firming products. Dove has set the stage for utilizing the most important aspect of targeting women, that every woman is different, and that’s a beautiful thing!
Resources:
http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx
http://www.marketingprofs.com/7/dove-pro-age-primetime-women-barletta.asp
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