Beautiful Branding
After their somewhat controversial “Real Beauty Sketches,” aired in April, Dove released the follow-up video earlier this summer. In this video, titled “Camera Shy,” Dove highlights the fact (from their own survey) that 90% of women are self-conscious in front of a camera. The video begins with women surprised by being filmed. One woman throws a blanket over her head, another slams a door in the cameraperson’s face, and another hides behind her hair. Regardless of how she does so, every woman caught on camera hides her face. The video then cuts to the words, “When did you stop thinking you were beautiful?” As the video progresses, young girls are shown posing and smiling for the camera. One little girl holds up a mirror and smiles at her reflection. Then, the words “Be your beautiful self” appear. When viewing this video, I found this to be a strong and moving message. However, in Dove’s mission to build up the self-esteem of girls and women, not everyone seems to be a fan of their methods.
While Dove’s last video was criticized for not being “diverse” enough and for reinforcing beauty stereotypes, “Camera Shy” shows women of different ages, sizes, and ethnicities. Dove is now getting scrutiny for choosing women who are “too beautiful.” This accusation is simply ridiculous. The women in the commercial are not supermodels and they all capture different looks. To the critics, cut the company some slack. Dove’s videos all have a powerfully positive message. Dove’s campaign to help women realize their full potential and accept themselves is something to be admired. Defining themselves as a brand that cares about women’s inner beauty in an industry focused on women’s outer beauty is definitely a positive way to stand out from the crowd. Kudos to Dove for being the positive difference and a game changer in the beauty product industry.
~ Isabelle Rojo, Intern, The S3 Agency
