Body Politics

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Dove has some great commercials that help us look at our bodies in a positive light.  That’s true.  However, do they believe in what they are advertising?  Does any major corporation? I’m beginning to wonder.  I was a big fan of the Dove commercials and some of them have even won awards.  That’s good right?  They have a positive body message, so that’s great.  Right?  Well, sort of.

I have been wanting to do a short film featuring my teen daughter and all of the messages and ads she is exposed to in a typical day.  The video “Onslaught” by Dove illustrates that concept pretty well and with a bigger budget than I’ll ever have.  However, the message Dove is putting out rings hollow when their parent company Unilever is making some of the most objectifying, body conscious commercials out there. 

Here is Onslaught

Other brands owned and pushed by Unilever include Axe, Ponds and Slimfast.  YES SLIMFAST!  It would seem like a bit of a contradiction to have this commerical about talking to your children about the beauty industry (text at the end of the Onslaught commercial) before the beauty industry talks to them when you sell a liquid diet product and skin creams.

Here are some of the commercials for Unilever’s other brands. 

Axe Ads

There is no end to the ojectification of women (and men) in the Axe ads, where every woman is centerfold perfect and they all want the guy who wears the Axe.  Not to mention their brilliant invent of the “Bow Chica Wow Wow” song and girls. There are many of these types of Axe commericals, just go to Youtube and type in Axe and you can see them in various languages as well.  When you watch these ads you do not get the impression that the company who pays for the creation of these ads is out to save the self esteems of little girls.  The way I see it Unilever is using the “wide net” approach and trying to get consumers who fit into just about any category.

Dove’s created the “Self Esteem Fund” which is part of their Campaign for Real Beauty and in the FAQ you can find the following:

Why Did We Create the Dove Self-Esteem Fund?

Low self-esteem leads to introversion, a withdrawal from normal life and a waste of potential.

• Over 50% of women say their body disgusts them (Dove Internal Study, 2002)
• The body fat of models and actresses portrayed in the media is at least 10% less than that of healthy women (British Medical Association, 2000)
• 6 out of 10 girls think they’d “be happier if they were thinner” (UK Teen Body Image Survey, January 2004)
• While only 19% of teenage girls are “overweight,” 67% think they “need to lose weight” (UK Teen Body Image Survey, January 2004)

What Is the Dove Self-Esteem Fund (DSEF)?

We’ve created the Dove Self-Esteem Fund as an agent of change to educate and inspire girls on a wider definition of beauty and to make them feel more confident about themselves.

The Dove Self-Esteem Fund is a network of local country initiatives linked in strategy and direction by a global steering group. In each country, the DSEF supports a specific charitable organization to help foster self-esteem. In the United States, the DSEF partners with Girl Scouts of the USA to support uniquely ME!.

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Are they laughing all the way to the bank when they write this stuff?  Don’t forget, they own Slimfast too.  I used to drink Slimfast myself years ago.  Despite all of their newer, slightly thicker looking ladies on their ads, don’t forget what they are all about:  selling a weight loss product.  From their “Why Slimfast” page:The Slim·Fast Meal Plan helps control hunger and keep you satisfied-so you can stick to your diet and lose weight!Dove Self-Esteem Ad

Companies only listen when their bottom line is at stake.  Until a month ago I didn’t even realize how duplicitous that Unilever is.  In fact it didn’t even occur to me to check out who owned Dove because the message seemed so sincere.  I don’t have time to research every single company I buy products from, but I do try to pay attention.  Hopefully with everybody out there paying attention, we’ll all manage to be more aware.