The example below is the format used in some of the ads where a picture of a woman would appear and there would be two boxes to check. One box was the stereotype that would normally be placed on the image, and the other box was how Dove wants us to start viewing each other.
In this example, there is an elderly dark-skinned woman with a head wrap. She has a soft smile and warm eyes. Dove is sending the message that we should stop viewing her for whats on the surface, in this case wrinkles, and start seeing her for whats on the inside. These ads sparked some controversy because many people felt it was ironic that a beauty product company is selling "real" beauty when their products contradict that very message that beauty is real or natural. Regardless, in my opinion the campaign was very effective and definitely got the attention of viewers because it did something different. I think the two boxes are very effective because they give the audience the illusion that they have a choice in how they should view this woman. However, in reality, they are suggesting how they want us to see her with the tagline below which reads, "Will society ever accept that 'old' can be beautiful? Join the debate."
I think the minimalist white background works very well to highlight the large image of the woman. The white theme acts as a unifier because most Dove products are in a white bottle and I think it draws associations with the brand which in turn will allow consumers to identify better with the product. The font choice is simple and clean. These small details work well to promote the entire ad as a simple, clear cut message.
This ad makes use of pathos. It is drawing an emotional response from the viewer by showing us someone older. This image might function to remind viewers of their own grandparents and how they view them. Surely, someone who respects and loves their grandparents wouldn't only see them as someone old with wrinkles. The ad is trying to get viewers to feel sentimental towards this woman, arguably using her age to their advantage. This ad is also ignoring the actual product, in fact, it isn't even selling a single product but the entire Dove brand.
I love this image! I had never seen it before, but have heard of the campaign and seen other related images. While Dove is a cosmetics company, I think that they are better than their competition at emphasizing "nautral" beauty and healthy skin. This is by no means to say that they are perfect, but the majority of their products are advertised as being simple and functional rather than for a specific scent or glamourous look. For this specific image that you have chosen, I love that the woman is smiling and her perceived happiness radiates throughout the image as if she were celebrating and I definitely agree that the ads are using pathos to invite the reader to reflect on their family and loved ones. I think it could also be argued that the ad uses ethos, because the brand is so well known that their ads can venture away from solely featuring their products.
ReplyDeleteI always find that the ads that would best on me are the ones that blind me to the fact that they are selling something. It's weird how effective this ad is without even showing the product. In this case, I even feel like I'm choosing the meaning of the product for itself, which further attaches me to the brand. The product is secondary. I love everything Dove, and like Lauren, I refuse to use anything else. I also have a thing for wrinkles. I hope my frequent squinting will give me crows feet :)
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