Blog Post 1

In terms of body image, Dove has been a huge supporter of changing the way that girls and women see themselves, particularly within the advertising world. Changes have been made to portray women of all body types and color, from skinny to curvy as well as the young and the old. This is exemplified in the advertisement shown above. The women in this picture all look comfortable in their bodies, with smiles and relaxed posture. Their ability to pose comfortably in plain undergarments shows that it is not lingerie that makes women beautiful, but simply the skin they are in. The advertisement is white, with a clean background which forces your attention on the women. Unlike many ads featuring women that aren’t completely covered, Dove chooses not to concentrate on their physical features, but simply on the fact that each of these women is beautiful in her own way. Not one of the women is a celebrity, which is unusual as many companies rely on facial recognition to sell their product. Here we have what looks like everyday women, showing the public that even mothers and teachers and your average every day girl can look beautiful too. Although this is an advertisement for a beauty product intended for “firming” the skin, steps have been taken to make beauty more accessible to the average women. We now see a variety of body sizes and shapes, colors of skin, as well as ages. Beauty should be a standard that all women feel capable of reaching, it is not just for the rich and famous anymore and Dove’s campaign for Real Beauty is working on making that dream a reality.