Dove’s Campaign for Self-Esteem

In today’s society, young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer, or losing their parents. With about 50% of girls and 33% of boys engaging in unhealthy weight control behaviors such as fasting, skipping meals, using laxatives, or smoking to control appetites; the diet industry including diet foods, programs and drugs) takes in over $40 billion each year and continues to grow. Children, teenagers, young adults and adults now battle the negative messages sent through the media that is indirectly affecting our choices and behavior. A shocking figure of only 2% of women in the world today would describe themselves as “beautiful”.

However, some companies such as Dove has taken this controversy and turned it into a highly profitable asset that has given them a distinct “pro-natural beauty” brand. Even a Facebook group, this campaign is extremely popular. Two years back, the UBC journalism service posted an article “Dove’s Campaign for real… profits?” pointing out that “maybe the real question is whether we should we even care” and that this campaign might only exist solely to make profits. Even though this might be Dove’s ulterior motive, I fully support their organization and what they do.  They have managed to create a one-of-a-kind marketing campaign. When you say Dove, the first thing I’ll think of is their self-esteem fund and all the work that they’ve done to promote self-confidence and their support of a wider definition of beauty, beyond typical stereotypes. With this in mind, of course I would consume more of their products.