Dove, keeps getting better and better at promoting its products using PR rather than traditional advertising. They constantly come up with new innovative ways to promote their products. Until now I had been very pleased with what seemed like a sincere desire, on Dove’s part to revamp their image as well as change the world’s perception of beauty.

The Unilever company first gained the interests of the public when they launched the Dove Campaign For Real Beauty. The campaign concentrates on showcasing the beauty of women in every size and shape. They hope to challenge the narrow stereotypes of beauty. To promote this they made a video exposing the real world of the beauty industry. The ad exposed all the editing done to pictures that make models seem flawless and beautiful. This video went viral and increased awareness about their campaign.
Next they aired the controversial Pro-Age commercial, which showed older women half naked, embracing their inner beauty, wrinkles and all. They aired the “edited” version, however at the end of the commercial they displayed the website where one could view the “unedited” version. Once again, creating new traffic to their website and promoting their product in the process.

Most recently, Dove has teamed up with MTV to produce a micro series, “Fresh Takes”. The micro series will air in the commercial breaks of MTV’s number 1 show, The Hills. The micro series is about three girlfriends in the 20’s juggling careers, friendships, romance and the pressures of being beautiful. In the series the friends help each other balance everything and listen to their inner voice. The micro series accompanies Dove’s latest product, Dove- go fresh, a new fragrant driven collection. Dove’s “Fresh Takes,” is another ingenious way of product promotion with out being in your face with advertising. It also really drives home Dove’s message in their Campaign for Real Beauty and helps their revamped image.

However, my main bone to pick with Dove is, that they chose Alicia Keys, to be the star of the micro series. Really Dove? Campaign for Real Beauty? But they still hire one of the music industry’s most beautiful women to star in a series that is supposed to convince viewers like my self to not be judgmental about my body? She is one of the people who I compare myself to, yet I am supposed to embrace my imperfections when Alicia Keys’ is supposed to portray a “normal” woman in her 20’s. I think not! This is where Dove really dropped the ball. If I saw right through it I’m sure about half of the other female college students who watch the show saw right through it too.