AdvertisementAnalysisEssay
ChosenAd:DovesRealBeautyCampaign&AxesFindYourMagic
Campaign
Overthepastfivedecades,theUnileverMultinationalCompanyhasbecomea
householdproductspowerhouseinmanufacturingproductssuchasthelikesofAxe
andDoveproducts.(UnileverCompanyProfile).WhileproductslikeDoveandAxe
whicharemarketedtocompletelydifferenttargetaudiences,theUnileverCompany
employssimilarmarketingstrategiestoselleachproduct.Althoughbothbrandsstem
fromthesameparentcompany,thetwocampaignsbringtolighttothesameideals
thatthecompanyusestomarkettheproducts.TheDoveRealBeautycampaignis
onethatstrivestomakemorewomenfeelbeautifuleverydaybywideningthe
stereotypicalviewofbeautyandinspiringwomentotakegreatcareofthemselves.On
theotherhand,themajorityoftheAxeadvertisementsemphasizesonthefactthat
theirbodyspraymakesmenmoreattractivetowomenwhotheypresentas
brainless(sometimesheadless)objectswhoexisttopleasemen.However,thebrand's
newestadcampaignFindYourMagicdeviatesfromthatmessage,anditishardly
surprising.
TheDoveRealBeautycampaignwasfirstlaunchedin2004responsetoa
UnilevercommissionedstudycalledTheRealTruthAboutBeauty.
ConductedbyprominentresearchersandfeministscholarsNancyEtcoff,Susie
Orbach,JenniferScott,andHeidiD'Agostino,thereportsgoalwastoexplore
empiricallywhatbeautymeanstowomentodayandwhythatis(Etcoff,Orbach,
Scott,andDAgostino2).Fullofinspirationallanguageandcallstoaction,
TheRealTruthAboutBeauty,quotesDarwinwhileprofessingDovesdesireto
furthertheunderstandingofwomen,beauty,andwellbeingandreclaimand
reexaminebeautyfroma21stcenturyperspective(Etcoff,etal.2).
ThemostprominentadvertisementoftheDoveRealBeautycampaignwasreleased
duringthe2006SuperBowl.ThepurposeoftheadvertisementwastopromoteDoves
SelfEsteemFund,whichislinkedtoDovesCampaignforRealBeautyandwas
createdtoactasanagentofchangetoinspireandeducategirlsandwomenabouta
widerdefinitionofbeauty.
Photo:DovesRealBeautyCampaign(2006).
SettoCyndiLaupersingingTrueColors,thecommercialplaysthroughwith
glimpsesofdifferentyounggirlswithbodylanguagethatspeakstothemasbeing
somewhatinsecureorselfconsciousandaccompanyingtext.Forexample,thereisa
younggirlwithredhairandfreckles,andthecaption,hatesherfreckles,moves
slowlyacrossthescreen.Thecommercialcontinuesinthismanneruntilthescreen
turnswhiteandsays,LetstellhersheswrongwiththeDovetrademark.The
commercialcomestoanendwiththevideomontageofsmilinggirlsandphraseslike
letstellhertoberealandbraveandtrueandshellbebeautiful.Thefinal
shotisawhitescreenwithletsmakepeacewithbeautyandthenitfadesintoThe
DoveSelfEsteemFundwiththeDovetrademark.
AccordingtoSocialCommunicationinAdvertisingbyauthorsWilliamLeiss,Stephen
Kline,SutJhallyandJacquelineBotterill,semioticscanenhanceunderstandingof
howmeaningisconstructedwithinanadvertisement(164).Thetextalsostatesthat
adsworkwiththeconceptofthesign,whichcanbefurtherbrokendownintotwo
components,thesignifierandthesignified(164).Signifiersinthisadarethe
younggirls,theirfacialexpressionsandbodylanguage,thebackgroundmusic,as
wellasthecaptionsoftext.TheSelfEsteemFundisforwomenandgirls,butDove
strategicallyplacedchildreninthiscommercial.Childrentendtobelinkedtoheart
warmingemotions,innocenceandthefuture.ThisDoveadisusingtheyounggirlsto
signifythatnoonedeservestofeelunbeautifulandthecycleofpoorselfesteemstarts
withtheyouth.Thegirlsfacialexpressionsandbodylanguagethatgofromsadand
insecure,tohappyandconfident,signifythepositiveoutcomeofDovesSelfEsteem
Fund.ThemessageisthatthroughDovescommitmenttoeducationaboutawider
definitionofbeauty,someoneslifecanbechangedinaverypowerfulway.Ifthe
younggirlssignifythefuture,thereisanunderlyingmessagethatthecyclementioned
aboveisduetosocietalpressuresandDoveiscommittedtobreakingthecycletoday
withthefutureleadersoftheworld.
Thetexthelpssignifytheimportanceofdiversity.Thegirlsshowcasedinthis
commercialareallvisuallydiverseintermsofethnicity,size,age,etc.,butthetext
helpsattachmeaningtotheimages.ItisimmenselysaddeningtowatchtheAfrican
Americangirlslouchedandlookingdown,withthecaptiondreamsofblueeyes,or
theotherlittlegirlwiththecaptionwantstolooklikeBarbie.Thiscommercialhits
theemotionalhotspotsandistryingtoattachthemeaningthatoneshouldembrace
theirculture,heritage,size,haircolor,etc.,andthatbeingdifferentisbeautiful.
Doveisaccomplishingseveralgoalsinrelationtobrandandproductmessagingin
associationwiththiscommercial.Theoverallmessageofthisadisverypositivein
nature:everyoneisbeautifulwhentheyembraceandaretruetothemselves.The
empoweringmessageisspecificallyforDovesSelfEsteemFund,butthe
commercialstillassociatestheDoveproductswiththemessage.Doveclearlywants
tosendthemessagethattheyarededicatedtosocialgood.Aportionoftheproceeds
gototheseprograms,liketheSelfEsteemFundandtheywantyoutothinkaboutthat
whenyourepickingoutwhichbodywashtobuy.
WhiletheDoveRealBeautyadvertisementsaremeanttoempowerwomen,the
Axebrandhasalengthyhistoryofadvertisementthatobjectifieswomenand
promotesrapeculture.However,nottoorecently,UnileverhaslaunchedFindYour
Magic,acampaignseekingtoreframetheAxebrand,helpingguysshedoutdated
viewsofmasculinityandembracewhatmakesthemunique.
TheAxeFindYourMagiccampaignincludesacommercialcelebratingawild
diversityofexpressionsofmasculinity,featuringmenwhoarevoguing,awheelchair
enabledman,andotherimagesofmenthatdontquitefitthestandardmasculine
stereotypes:themanlymanandthegoodlookingguywhogetsthegirl.
Photo:AxesFindYourMagicCampaign
AccordingtotheadsdescriptiononYoutube(2016),justbeingyourselfisenough:
Whoneedsasixpackwhenyouhaveyourownthing.Nomusthave,must
be,fashionnormsorbodystandards.Themostattractivemanyoucanbeis
yourself.Sofindwhatmakesyou,you.Thenworkonit.
Infact,accordingtothestatementfromMcCarthy(2016),menarerejectingrigid
malestereotypesmorethaneverandAxechampionsrealmenandtheuniquetraits
thatmakethemattractivetotheworldaroundthem.
Additionally,thestereotypesmentionedabovearehighlightedinAdvertisingandthe
ConstructionofViolentWhiteMasculinitybyJacksonKatz(2011).Mens
magazinesandadvertisementsoftencontainimagesofwhatthemediadefinesas
masculine.Katzdescribestherealmanasbeingphysicallystrong,aggressive,
andincontroloftheirwork.Alongwithbeingincontrolandpowerful,maledriven
advertisementsdepictviolentmaleicons.Malerolemodelsarestrongathletesand
superheroes,butalsoarewarheroeswhohavegainedtheirinfamythroughviolent
actions.Describingadsportrayingheroesandiconsfrommedievalbattlefieldsaswell
astheTrojancondomadds,allowsKatztofurtherexplain,thatmenhavealways
beenaggressiveandbrutalandthattheirdominanceoverwomenisbiologically
based.
EventhoughAxenewadplaystoandsubtlyreinforcesthestereotypestheyclaimto
beexposing,it'simpossiblenottofeelinspiredbythesightoftheseattractive,healthy
mensmilingconfidentlyatusfromtheirplacesofbillboardhonor,theirindividual
figureallthemoreattractiveandmasculinealongsidethepacksofmusclesin
competitors'campaigns.(Pozner,2005)
WhetheramanisAfricanAmerican,Asian,orCaucasianandifheisslim,bulkyor
wearshighheels,itdoesnotmatterbecausethemessageoftheadvertisementisthat
allmenaremasculineintheirownright.
TheFindYourMagiccampaignemphasizesthedifferencesandindividualitythat
makeallmenmasculine,employingreal,everydaymentoappealtotheothermens
insecurities,showingthattheyknowhowmasculinityisviewedinthemediaandthey
donotagreewiththatdepictionofmasculinity(Parrott,2012).TheAxeadwantsto
makeaconnectionandcreatecredibilitywithmenbyshowingthemthatAxebelieves
inallkindsofmasculinityandinspiringmentobelieveandseethatformof
confidenceinthemselves.
Thatsaid,itishighlyunlikelythatAxeorBBHmadesuchadecisionlightlyorat
random,accordingtoBrighe(2016).Clearly,theyrerespondingtorealchange,and
thatrealchangehastohavestartedsomewhere.Theansweris,probably,buriedinthe
2007quote.Thebloggerswhodontgetithavebeen,amongstothers,leadingthe
chargeforgreateraccountability,greaterresponsibility.Theyneverrelented,andwith
time,consumersralliedwiththem.
Thepastfewyearshaveseenmuchoftheworldadoptingmoreaccepting,inclusive
attitudestowardsLGBTQ,womensrightsandsocialjustice.Peopleingeneralare
nowaremorecriticalofoverlyphotoshoppedmagazinecovers,ofblatantsexual
objectificationanddamaginglyoversimplisticideasofmasculinity.
Thepersonalbecamepolitical,andthepoliticalbecamefashionable,andthe
fashionable,naturally,becomesmarketable.
AlthoughbothAxeandDovearetargetedtowardsdifferent,Unilever,their
advertisementsaremarketedineerilysimilarways.Inmyopinion,theadvertisements
goagainstsocialnormsandvalues.Societyisconstantlyfindingwaystomakeusfeel
inadequate.Throughcommercials,forexample,weneedtobuyaspecificproduct
becauseitwillmakeusbetterinsomeway.Magazinesareairbrushingmodelsto
makethemappearthinnerandmorebeautifulormuscularandmanlierbyeliminating
nearlyeveryflaw,whichonlyfurthersendsusthemessagethatwearenotgood
enoughasweareandshouldaspiretobemorelikethedigitallyalteredmodel.Dove,
alongwithAxe,ispromotingtheopposite,positiveselfesteem.Throughbrand
positioning,DoveandAxeproductscanthenbeassociatedwithenhancingones
beautyandmasculinity,ratherthanneedingaproducttomakeyoubeautifulor
masculine.
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McCarthy, Matthew. (2016). Axe's 'Find Your Magic' ad campaign
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