Redefining beauty

Have you seen the new Dove Real Beauty campaign ad? I watched it for the first time today and spent a tear just after I told my colleague about that new "great" ad by Dove. I was just simply happy when I read an article with this starting sentence "I (reluctantly) admit it: I am one of the many women who teared up watching the Dove Real Beauty campaign’s 'Beauty Sketches' video." 

But the ad doesn't only reap tears and admirations. Criticism always colors even the most wonderful thing in the world. Some blabbering about "un-feminist", "sexist", "toxic" ad and  "profit-oriented" company abusing female insecurities. Is it really that "underneath the Dove's campaign is the reinforcement of the same old messages about how beauty is the most important asset for woman to have?" and are there really people who think "I'd just rather people weren't hoodwinked by the messages out there, which are getting more cunning as we wise up?"


The ad is conveying a message encouraging women to fight the enemy of our natural beauty, self-doubt and hatred. This three minute advert is telling about an FBI trained forensic artist (Gil Zamora) sketching faces of some women whom he cannot see and the process of face sketches comparison between the description given by oneself and how others view her. Self-description results in some caricature-not so very nice sketches while strangers descriptions result in a more human and realistic sketches. It's because when we self-describe ourselves, we tend to focus heavily on our flaws and just be overwhelmed with it, a distorted self image.


I am a 23 and few months old woman who like many (at least I speak for Indonesian women) other around my age, have not reached full satisfaction of my face and body with all the imperfections. Don't you agree that for decades and generations, we women have been underestimated by something that supposed to make us appreciate ourself more? (the word "beauty"). We spend time running an errand to be 'beautiful' instead of reaching our maximum potential, sometimes we even feel desperate when this pursuit of 'beauty' standard doen't work. "The concept of feeling beautiful is emotional for women because it consumes our lives: it impacts the way we exist in the world, the way we spend our time, how we interact with others, how (and if) we lead, how we conduct our relationships and chose our partners." It's an issue of a gender, an inescapable burden one cannot express but can always complaint on. 


"Women are constantly bombarded with images of impossible beauty. By 17, the average woman has received over 250,000 commercial messages through the media. Three out of four American teenage girls feel depressed, guilty and shameful after spending three minutes leafing through a fashion magazine — a magazine that probably features fashion models who, on average, weigh 23% less than the average American woman. These effects are visceral: 65% of women and girls report disordered eating behaviors, 53% of 13- year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies (a number that increases to 78% by age 17). But this isn’t just a teenage phenomenon: 42% of first to third-grade girls want to be thinner and 81% of ten year-olds are afraid of getting fat." Those super skinny catwalk ladies, beauty products advertisement wailing at us and bringing promises. Heels, boobs, branded clothings and perfect skin are actually different than being glamorous and elegant in essence.




Dove is a company, yes absolutely, aiming at profit, of course. Dove’s global sales rose to above $2 billion in the last decade, roughly the same amount of time the Campaign for Real Beauty has existed. Isn't that what's within every single soul of us either as an individual or an organization? we are all trying to search for a relief of our longing desire and needs, be it happiness from money or others. So we all cover it up with those flowery words stated as vision and mission. What makes us all different is the REASON behind. However you say it, the impact is what matters, said my lecturer Sania Makki, once. It contributes (warmth, at least) to me and wider society, and that's much more important. 


I am currently a strategic planner of a respective brand, marketing and communication agency based in West Jakarta. I understand clearly how Dove as a brand is putting an effort on becoming a trusted brand that cares. They search the market and decide The Real Beauty will be a perfect campaign touching every woman's heart. The campaign and ad of Real Beauty bring a breakthrough for the business, indirectly demanding people to reconsider the standard of advertising and how to reach the woman market. Unlike what you think, not all the viewers are as wise as us, many pre teens and adolescences are touched and the message of the campaign is all that matters. It's stamped and may stay for the whole life (or maybe just for a temporary moment), but who knows that it's saving people's lives out there, they who are on the brink of desperation and willing to commit a suicide because of "beauty" standard and environment's pressure. 


"The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty should serve as a clear message to body image activists: rhetoric about negative ads isn’t enough. We have to focus on the deeper economic sources that perpetuate (and profit from) negative body image. Women-friendly ads don’t eliminate our body hate: our body hate is predicated on a deep structural system of misogyny, based on the economic interests of companies still mired in a patriarchal society. A benevolent sketch artist does little to ameliorate that."

I don't know about the ad, but for me the message along the campaign is just a call sincere human soul longing for an appreciation and affection. It's empowering, positive life-changing, uplifting and inspiring message. It is not saying "you must be beautiful", but be grateful and content, in consequence, be happy and confident. Be happy with yourself and your life. The negative sides are also you and not as bad as you think. That one scene showing a woman holding tears, touched by the question "are you happy with the you else see?" is attempting to shout "Don't concern too much on the beauty already defined." we do not deserve that kind of pressure to look like a 'made-up' beauty acknowledged by fashion magazine. In a professional view, it is important to criticize the campaign for it to be better or only based on those we have already known (How does Dove do it?). 

I'm totally agree that all women are beautiful, really. It's an ad of a marketing campaign, an inspiration, a new standard for advertisement (at least campaign and beauty products ad) and I agree with the idea "gamechanger." I have always had this question in mind "who will defeat Dove's real beauty campaign" since the first campaign was launched. Now I realize the answer is Dove itself. The record was made to be broken again. It's wonderful to imagine what defeats "you are beautiful the way you are" is "you are more beautiful than what you think". 

Source:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/its-an-ad-but-doves-real-beauty-campaign-is-a-gamechanger-8580753.html

http://www.policymic.com/articles/37333/dove-beauty-campaign-not-enough-to-combat-body-image-issues

http://nbclatino.com/2013/04/22/forensic-sketch-artist-reveals-how-the-viral-dove-beauty-ad-campaign-got-made/