Dove dares to be different in the huge world of beauty products

         

      Since 1957, Dove, which is a Unilevar branch company, has been creating an array of beauty products for women.  The well known name of Dove has a dependable reputation that was built ever since they created a beauty soap bar that was clinically proven to be milder for sensitive skin than other soaps.  The fact that this company has been around since 1957 proves that they have been doing something right in the world of beauty products.  But more importantly, the way Dove has become a master at marketing and advertising is a huge contributing factor to their success.  Through looking back at the commercials from their beginning days to more recent ads, it is evident that they have truly progressed in the way they market to their consumer and target audience of women.  

 Dove’s advertising focus in the 50’s was based upon the uniqueness of their product.  

One of Dove’s first commercials which is from 1957 features a model who is shown using the new Dove soap.  There is a narrator that is describing why Dove soap is unique because of its composition of having 1/4 cleansing cream that most leading soaps do not have.  It then shows the model using both regular soap and Dove soap and how the difference is that regular soap dries out her skin and Dove keeps it soft and moisturized.  This commercial focuses on introducing the product to the consumer by showing them why Dove is different and comparing their product to the inferior products that were out currently.  Using the phrase, “Creams while you wash”  they create a slogan which would hopefully stay in the mind of the consumer if they were to see Dove soap on the shelf at a store.  

In 2012, Dove wants sends out a positive message of celebrating every women's beauty to create a positive image for their company. 

In the start of the second ad which is from 2012, it is stated that “Dove discovered that only 4% of women globally consider themselves beautiful.”  Then it introduces an adorable 10 year old boy named Hal, who is a “real beauty campaigner.”  For the rest of the commercial, Hal travels around town and tells random women he finds that they look beautiful today.  You see these women’s days being made just from Hal’s simple compliment.  At the end of the commercial it simply shows Doves logo and says “Share it to make more women feel beautiful.”

The 1957 Ad sells the product and the 2012 ad sells an attitude associated with Dove. 

There is a definite progression in how these commercials market to their audience.  In the first ad, there is more of a focus on introducing the product of Dove soap and really selling it.  Because Dove was a new company at the time, this is what they had to do to get people to be familiar with what they produce and the quality of their product.  They used techniques such as featuring a pretty model and typical for the time, a man’s voice to sell the product. This along with the comparison to their competitor by describing the unique characteristic of their soap being that it “creams” skin makes for a pretty successful ad at the time.  While this sounds a bit odd and dated to us now, the phrase back then probably made more sense to people than saying something like “moisturize.” This commercial may seem a bit boring and safe to viewers now, but at the time it probably convinced many women that this is what they needed instead of regular soap.  When one looks at the commercial from present day, there are obvious differences between the current marketing goal and the one from 1957. 

      

Women now see Dove as the beauty company that makes products for “real” women.  

      Instead of focusing on making an appealing product, the creators of this commercial focused on selling and creating an attitude that they want to associate with the Dove products.  The current ad does not even mention what products they make.  This is because most consumers already know what Dove makes since they have been established for so many years.  Therefore, this commercial promotes an identity of celebrating the true beauty that all women have.  Along with other ads by  Dove, they use “real” women in them instead of just models.  In this way they have progressed from their 57’ ad.  Especially in this specific commercial they also appeal to people’s emotions in a way that the first commercial does not and instead is more logical.  The concept of promoting breaking down stereotypes of what beautiful means is something Dove wants the consumer to associate with their company and products.  It is a positive and unique idea that separates them from a lot of other companies in the beauty product market.  This is something that is subtly conveyed to the viewer of this commercial through its honest and heartfelt message.  Since 1957,  Dove has certainly stepped up their marketing game and become a company that not only offers reliable products, but a new way of appreciating and promoting women for who the naturally beautiful people they already are.  What consumer wouldn’t want to buy a product from a company that surrounds itself with such a positive message?