Dove

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibyAJOSW8U

Last year I took a nutrition class and focused on eating disorders for a project. As I was researching, I came across the Dove campaign to help spread awareness of the negative effects of Photo Shop and its impact on women's perceptions of beauty. As an advertising major, I was especially interested in how PhotoShop was used in the creation of the billboard. It was fascinating to see the model from the beginning (no makeup) to the end product (the billboard) with the help of technology. Technology is so advanced today that it can transform a not so good looking (in my opinion) person into a flawless model for an advertisement that can be seen in major magazines, newspapers, and billboards across the globe.

As an advertising major we are taught that one of the objectives of creating a good advertisement is to find out what the consumer wants and relate to the target market. By "photoshopping" a once normal looking person into a flawless model doesn't make sense. As a consumer, when looking at advertisements with models in them, I do not feel as though I can relate when the model is so skinny and has no blemishes. He/she seems untouchable. I know one of the objectives of advertisements, especially beauty supplies, is to give the consumer the vision of what he/she could look like if they used the product, but technology has really taken over the industry and puts the models on a pedestal that no everyday person could ever reach. The consumer, especially young girls, can then compare themselves to the model and have low self esteem, when in reality technology is the root of the problem, not the advertisement itself.

I really like the Dove campaign because it addresses the issue of photo shop and how unrealistic it really is. Dove now is focusing on advertising to the average sized women, without the use of photo shop. They want women to feel comfortable in their own skin and are targeting a large target market.