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Here we go again.

.

................................Dove women

Dove

This week's issue of the New Yorker has a piece about Pascal Dangin, one of the world's foremost digital retouchers. In the story, which you can find online at this link, Dangin is quoted as saying he extensively retouched photos used in Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty. What!?

Are you surprised?  You shouldn't be. This has always been a "campaign;" a staged statement.  And there's nothing wrong with that.  But to assume that this way of being was part of the DNA of the folks who run Unilever, the same folks who market Axe, is a little bit . . . umm . . . unreal?

.................................Axe women

You can find my other Dove rants here and here.

Posted May 8, 2008
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Comments

We are ranting in unison! Today marked my 5th post about the Dove campaign covering everything from the Axe attack, last week's Greenpeace hit and now this.

I imagine that they may be planning a strategic retreat from their untenable position on high moral ground.

Posted by: Martin Bishop | May 08, 2008 at 06:05 PM

Tom,
Agreed. It's an ad campaign that hit a nerve. "Real Women" had nothing to do with Unilever's beliefs. Yet there's this thirst among consumers to connect with brands with whom they have genuine shared beliefs. Patagonia delivers on this, Dove does not. If the ad agency creates the point of view, its' usually manufactured. If it comes from the company leaders, it's usually real.
Lois

Posted by: Lois Kelly | May 09, 2008 at 07:56 AM

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