Real Beauty

By popagandhi | Published: 29 January, 2007

Campaign for Real Beauty

In the day and age when cosmetics and beauty products, more often than not seem to be all about pseudo science and making one fairer, whiter, slimmer, it’s always a relief to know an organization in that industry still cares about their market. Dove happens to be one of those. Not content to only make great shower cream and shampoo (I only use Dove shampoo when I travel!), Dove’s set up the Self-Esteem Fund. From its mission statement —

bq. “Too many girls develop low self-esteem from hang-ups about looks and, consequently, fail to reach their full potential in later life… So, Dove created the Dove Self-Esteem Fund as an agent of change to educate and inspire girls on a wider definition of beauty.”

I think it’s something we can all identify with if you’re female, and socialized to believe that beauty=(thin + fair). Nobody’s paying me to do this, but here’s some publicity for a worthy cause whose message needs to be heard in every quarter, regardless of geography or race. I’ll be putting up a small image link on the sidebar in support of the Dove Self-Esteem Fund (and will be more than happy to do the same for other worthwhile causes).

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  • If Dove really stands for what they say they do in their Self-Esteem Fund, then I would consider switching over to their products because these are issues which should have been addressed a long time ago. Some girls today are not even given a chance because of their perceived lack of beauty by commercial standards, and therefore they are made to feel less than human and their lack of self-confidence carries over into all facets of their lives.
  • Yves
    One girl out of five thinks about plastic surgery ? I wonder what the proportion is with adults - of both sexes, might I add. Men are submitted to the exact same standard of having to be lean, mean machines or be looked down upon at fat slobs.

    These days, regardless of your gender, it seems you are a second-rate human person if you are not this tall, this slim, if your clothes or hair or eyes do not look like this, and God knows what else. If you're a normal person, then sorry sir, sorry Miss, you're just not good enough, but we still hope you'll enjoy your brief stay in Gattaca anyway !
  • kavi
    What I want to know is- Why aren't there any Indians in the ads?
  • Excellent Post. Apparently we were thinking the same thing this week.
  • Ruok
    I was quite touched when I first saw the ads on this. Marketing gimmick or not, its the right message to be sending out.
  • Jean
    Johnny: Ah.. that. I don't think we can do anything about that. :P

    I know how it's like to have low self-esteem and I am still not out of it. It's a terrible feeling and it's still haunting me. Oh well... will rant elsewhere. :P
  • One might argue that what the campaign achieves is independent of the true motives driving it, but I remain suspicious of a company that tells me I need firmer skin to be beautiful, on the very same page it encourages me to challenge the media-inspired image of beauty.

    ("Curvy or lanky, big or petite, every woman can be beautiful with firmer skin.")
  • Equally tragic are women with misguided confidence in their looks, social skills and/or moral bearings who insist that they are god's gift to mankind.
  • barffie
    Would you like to support WMD as well? :P www.womenmakeadifference.org
  • barffie
    I tried their shampoo and unfortunately it's a little too rich for my flake-prone sensitvie scalp. Their body shower is nice too but now am sharing with husband so I guess we have to stick to something more unisex :P

    I love their campaigns and frankly speaking: enough of the slim, fair, jet black hair, big eyes, sharp small nose stuff already. We are individuals and we ought to retain our own characteristics? I am saying this risking sounding like a sour grape but I'm glad I don't look like everyone else.
  • I'm really liking the Dove campaigns so far, even though some people think it's some marketing gimmick.
  • Night
    z : as her BFF you should accept her suprises, hehe :)
  • I think this is awesome, and I love their video of the plain Jane being transformed into a supermodel.
  • I use the dove soap bar and hair care products.
  • Yes, things have changed a lot since baby ;)
  • z
    First it's the Creative sound enhancer, then you're installing windows, now u're being all oprah winfrey-ish... You're scaring me.
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