A few days ago I read this editorial at the Sun-Times about Dove’s new advertising campaign in the US. As they don’t seem to have launched the campaign in Oz, I’d heard nothing about it. Apparently they’re using “real women” instead of emaciated model types. Based on the comments Wendy mentioned in her article, I assumed that these were really big, like, obese women; still pretty but obviously a long way from traditional models. Today I took a look at the actual site. What the hell? Those women are gorgeous! They all look fit and strong and curvy and not flabby at all! (Which is good, since they’re selling firming cream, and I now want to get some.) I just can’t believe that big-name journalists like Richard Roeper would go on the record as objecting to these women. “If I want to see plump gals baring too much skin,” said Roeper, “I’ll go to Taste of Chicago.” Nice one, Dick. If I looked like these women, I’d feel like the Supreme Sexy Goddess of the World. (Maybe I do and I just can’t see it?)
stefanie
August 8, 2005 — 10:05 pm
Interesting — these ads have been in the UK for ages now & I’d only ever heard good things about them… And they’re not just about ‘larger’ women, but also with freckles, scars, wrinkles etc. — anything not usually seen on models. Certainly every woman’s mag (not surprisingly) has been praising them, and I’ve not seen anything negative in the papers either — other than an editorial in the Telegraph that critised the impression that Dove gave that they actually ‘cared’ about changing perception of what is an attractive shape — but rather they were being pragmatic sales people. The specific example was the fact that Unilever, owner of Dove, certainly isn’t using “Dove” Women in campaigns for male products such as Lynx. SO — the paper wasn’t complaining about having to see ‘plump gals’ or non-atractive ones!
Kris
August 8, 2005 — 10:18 pm
That’s weird, given that the editorial mentions stickers and other defacements on the UK posters. (I admit I laughed a little at “WHO ATE ALL THE PIES?”) I’m glad they were so well-received over there then!
Marci
August 9, 2005 — 12:55 am
I think it’s a wonderful campaign… And a stroke of marketing genius. 😉
Seriously, though, it’s nice to see “real” women represented in women’s mags like Glamour and InStyle. Especially when the Dove ads are located adjacent to a Givenchy or Lagerfeld advertisement featuring divinely-dressed skeletons.
martin
August 9, 2005 — 3:00 am
I don’t remember any defacements on them. Well not in London.
hank
August 10, 2005 — 10:49 am
omg, “plump”?? no way.
Kris
August 10, 2005 — 1:02 pm
I showed the picture to the Snook without any prefacing comments and his response was “Hubba hubba!” 🙂