TO: Silvia Lagnado & Philippe Harousseau, Dove Senior Management Team
FROM: 1295657, Branding Consultant
SUBJECT: The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty: Invest or Abandon Ship?
Through careful market research and analysis, I have identified where the Dove brand
was before the launch of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, where it is now since the
campaign has been running for a few years, and where the brand is headed next; either with or
without the campaign. Prior to the launch of the Campaign for Real Beauty, Dove was mainly a
functional brand. When it debuted, Dove was positioned as an alternative to soap. For
consumers, it highlighted the fact that soap was harsh on your skin and it was not something that
should be used every day. That meant that Dove could swoop in and save the day just like
Wonder Woman, with its ‘one-quarter moisturizing cream’ and claim to be a beauty bar entirely
separate from soap.
Because of this positioning, Dove’s brand associations are also functionally-centered and
weighted. Aside from being endorsed by physicians and dermatologists, Dove was also
associated with having created a new technology and a gateway to fixing dry skin while still in
the shower. Thus eliminating the need for moisturizing after showering with lotion. Dove also
feminized the world of soap, with its claims of luxury, creaminess, and softness (See Brand
Association Map). However, Dove’s functional benefit of one-quarter moisturizing cream does
not really translate to all of its product categories, especially its hair styling products and
deodorants. No one wants a creamy hairspray or hair gel.
Dove’s Brand Story
The Campaign For Real Beauty was started as a way to give Dove the Masterbrand an
overarching brand story that would translate across all of Dove’s products, from facial cleansers
to body lotions to deodorants to hair styling products. Thus Dove set out to find out how real
women felt about beauty as it was portrayed in today’s media. They found a disconnect and
general discontent among the female population with the industry of beauty. The foundation for
their brand story was an identity myth: a gap between real beauty and media’s portrayal of
beauty. The eternal theme of the Campaign for Real Beauty is that of triumph and tragedy
because according to Dove, even little girls suffer from low self-esteem due to media’s portrayal
of beauty. This is the tragedy part of the story myth. The triumph comes from Dove stepping in
as the savior of real beauty; the one beauty company that can save your little girl from hating
herself by displaying women of all shapes and sizing in their advertisements. The different
componenents of this marketing communications strategy involve shock-value videos, a Self
Esteem Fund, and a completely re-vamped advertising campaign using real women. For its stock
value, this brand story is strong. Identity myths like Dove’s triumph and tragedy are so strong
because they speak themes, values, and beliefs that are representative of the collective. Most
every woman can relate to what Dove is trying to say with its advertisements, because they too
have felt inadequate in the wake of traditional beauty industry ideals. Dove offers consumers
acceptance. They offer validation outside of the beauty industry norms.
The Campaign for Real Beauty Ads
Dove’s Campaign For Real Beauty’s first ads, the “Tick-Box” advertisements, were the
gateway to sparking public debate over the definition of beauty. It was real, because at first
public majority ruled that the women were “outsized”, keeping with traditional definitions of
beauty. But then “outsize” gave way to “outstanding,” and the Dove mission began to take shape.
Dove’s “Firming” advertisements spoke to the idea that real women are beautiful by using six
real women in the ad, pictured in plain underwear. But on the whole, these ads did not speak well
of the idea that ‘you are beautiful the way you are’ because the ad was trying to sell firming
cream. For me, this advertisement was a contradiction.
“True Colors” was one of the real ads that set out looking for shock value. Though it
mentioned no product, the ad garnered attention because it pulled at people’s heartstrings. It’s
one thing to relate the ad to your own self esteem issues, but then to go one step further and show
you that it’s also affecting your little sister, your niece, your very own daughter…is eye-opening.
The ad was controversial, especially given its mission to debunk the supermodel beauty myth
despite Dove’s position in the beauty industry. “Evolution” was also out for blood in terms of its
shock value. This mini-movie also lacked a product feature, solely focusing on exposing the
beauty industry. The only mention of Dove in either of these videos besides the ‘a Dove film’ at
the beginning, comes at the end with the Dove logo and The Self Esteem Fund. “True Colors”
plays into the tragedy theme that Dove is trying to create, and “Evolution” could be argued as a
triumph because Dove has let escape the secret of the beauty industry...but mostly it is just there
for shock value.
As a socially-conscious integrated marketing communications program, the “Tick Box”
billboards, “True Colors” TV ad, and “Evolution” YouTube mini-movie work beautifully
together. None of these are trying to sell a product to consumers; they are only trying to raise
awareness under the Dove name. The firming ads do not work for me because of the latent
hypocrisy imbedded in them. Just because you use ‘real women’ in the ad does not negate the
fact that Dove is trying to sell firming cream, a product that only exists because we acknowledge
that there is a problem with our bodies, however real they are. “Onslaught” is yet another
advertisement made purely for shock value. As real as the ad is and as real as its message is, I do
not like it for Dove. At the end of the video it says “Talk to your daughter before the beauty
industry does,” which implies that Dove is not a part of that industry. Except that it is. This ad is
a little too hypocritical for my tastes. Despite the lack of Dove products represented in the
various ads mentioned above that do work together, they still work to keep Dove in the mind of
consumers. Dove has positioned itself against everything that the beauty industry represents, and
thus against its competitors, making it stand out in the mind of the consumers.
Dove’s Media Choices
Dove utilized a combination of traditional and alternative media exposures for its ads.
Even when utilizing traditional media such as Superbowl ads, they did so in an unconventional
way. “True Colors” was aired during the Superbowl amidst the frenzy of beer and sex
advertisements. Its sentimentality and innocence set it apart and made it stand out. Consumers
paid attention because it was so different. Likewise, the YouTube release of “Evolution” gave
the mini-movie street cred. Not releasing it on TV or the Dove website made the video that much
more shocking, that much more credible. YouTube gives videos like this a sense of being
consumer-generated, even if it isn’t actually. It speaks to consumers on their level, giving them
the option to listen, whereas traditional media does not.
While I do not agree with the use of the “Firming” ads to promote Dove’s firming cream,
I do however see a benefit to their being used as billboards posted around Grand Central Station.
Just their mere presence in such a highly trafficked area like Grand Central Station amidst
traditional beauty advertisements highlighted the disparity between Real Women and
supermodels. However, these ads also run the risk of Dove being labeled the ‘Fat Girl’ brand by
those who are unreceptive to the messages Dove is trying to send. Linking the Global Self
Esteem Fund to uniquely ME! And the campaignforrealbeauty.com spurred consumer cocreation, allowing visitors to share their views on message forums. These forums were good for
Dove because it gave consumers a voice. However, by doing so Dove was also opening itself up
for negative feedback that could highlight the hypocrisies in its advertising. The Dove Two
Dozen paired with the Dove Real Beauty Award for the American Women in Radio and
Television was a way to show consumers that Dove was walking its talk. Dove rewarded those
women in the media it felt best portrayed real beauty, instead of just perpetuating media
stereotypes.
A Changed Dove?
The Campaign for Real Beauty definitely changed the meaning of Dove. The campaign
and its messages helped make Dove appear more natural and less processed in the mind of
consumers. But the campaign cannot make consumers ignore the fact that Dove is still a part of
the beauty industry. Dove has perpetuated the same stereotypes in the past as every other
company has. But with the use of the Campaign for Real Beauty, Dove is making up for the
collective mistakes of the beauty industry.
Before the Campaign for Real Beauty, Dove already had brand awareness, associations,
preference, and loyalty because it had been around for years and was an alternative to soap. But
the campaign gave Dove new imagery, going against everything the beauty industry had
currently stood for. The controversial images Dove was putting forth with the campaign opened
Dove up for the onslaught of judgments and feelings from consumers that their advertisements
provoked. Some of these were positive, where consumers patted Dove on the back for speaking
out against superficial beauty. Others were negative, highlighting the hypocrisy of Dove, a
beauty company, debunking the beauty industry (See Brand Identity Venn Diagram). Their
advertisements let Dove become known as one of two kinds of brands: the brand for ‘Real
Women’ or the not-so-pleasant brand for ‘Fat Girls.’ Either way, the campaign refreshed Dove as
a whole, making it current and sparking debate. The message that Dove was sending resonated
with consumers because it was real and most everyone could relate to it. Ultimately, the
Campaign for Real Beauty fostered personal relationships between consumers and the brand,
contributing positively to the brand’s equity.
The Not-So Pleasant Aftermath
Because Dove is owned by Unilever, consumers took the opportunity to highlight the
hypocrisies in Dove’s advertisements. The parody videos like “Slob Evolution” and “Dove
Onslaught(er)” are graphic and mildly disgusting. Yet their existence proves that people cared
enough to parody the original ads. While these advertisements are very negative and seek to hurt
Dove and villainize the brand, their presence is not all bad. The existence of so many Dove
parodies just proves that people are listening. These people cared so much about the campaign
that Dove had launched that they felt compelled to parody its advertisements. This does not mean
that Dove has lost control of its brand meaning. The campaign is controversial; therefore it is
bound to spark controversy and negative comments from the public. But it is better to be talked
about and parodied than to be completely ignored. This way, you know you are getting through
to people.
My Recommendations
Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty has been eye-opening, controversial, hypocritical, and
yet all together awe-inspiring. The presence of parodies and minor backlash from the public
should not deter Dove from continuing their campaign. It is relevant and its message has salience
that can be translated across the globe. The campaign has taken one of beauty’s oldest functional
brands and breathed new life into it, renewing customer preference. A little controversy never
hurt anyone. Like they say, “what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger,” and the same can be
said of Dove and this campaign. My professional recommendation is to keep going with the
Campaign for Real Beauty, so long as advertisements remain socially-centered and not productcentered. A switch to product-centered advertisements like the “Firming” ads will only muddy
Dove’s new brand meaning.
Brand Association Map
Ivory
Natural
Lather
Creamy
Jergens
Moisturizing
cream
Soft
Feminine
Luxurious
Treats dry
skin
Competitors
Cleansing cream
Beautiful
Functional benefits
Gentle
Nivea
Beauty bar
Not soap
New technology
Mild
Better
skin
Endorsed by
Physicians &
Dermatologists
Aspirational
Post WWII
era
Identity
American
Affordable
Everyday
beauty
Iconic
Classic
Brand Identity Venn Diagram
Brand Identity





Beauty has multiple
definitions
Media portrayal of
women isn’t
accurate
Need to help
rebuild girls’
self-esteems
Beauty industry
stereotypes and
portrays an
unattainable image of
beauty
“Real Women” brand
J
Brand Image


VERSUS


Hypocritical:
Dove is a part of
the beauty
industry
Unilever also
produces Axe 
look @ their ads
“Fat girl” brand