Unilever's "Axe" Ad Campaign Contradicts Dove "Real Beauty" Campaign

The efforts by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty appear admirable in this society of hyper-sexualized advertising. At the Gracie Awards, an honor is given to one special woman called the "Dove Real Beauty Award." The chair of the Grand EFFIE Awards said that "The Dove campaign was...rooted in a powerful human and cultural insight: that beauty has heretofore been defined by the media and is actually defined much differently by real women," before awarding Dove for their effectiveness. Ultimately, of course, the goal is to sell some deodorant and anti-cellulite cream, so the appeal to real women is just good business. The desire to debunk stereotypes, however, goes much deeper than gels and lotions. This stance is directly contradicted by Dove's parent company, Unilever, continuing another notable campaign- Axe.

According to the Unilever website, the Dove campaign began out of concern that women have unhealthy images of themselves thanks to the media. The website mournfully reports, "One survey, for example, found that 75% of teenage girls felt 'depressed, guilty and shameful' after spending just three minutes leafing through a fashion magazine." In response, women of all sorts are encouraged to redefine beauty by looking to the inside and, we can't forget, using Dove products.

The campaign's website delves deep into self-esteem issues that plague young girls as early as age 8. "Are you Media Smart" displays sexy ad images and asks the viewer how it makes them feel. "Self-Esteem Bubble" encourages girls to find their worth in themselves rather than in others' opinions. Other features work to disenchant the imagery that we see in print and on screen and dispel the myths about the way that bodies grow and change. Complete with discussion boards and short "films," this seems to be the one-stop-shop for all things "feel good." Dove has a long way to go if they want to defeat their enemy, though. As one film clip portrays, degrading images are an "Onslaught" on our senses.