Although it purports to be honest, Dove's marketing is the reality of reality TV, not of everyday life. The models—though not glamorous?have all been given the glamour treatment. This was most evident in the first two campaigns to promote Dove's masterbrand and firming products. As Russ Lidstone, head of planning at JWT in London, puts it: Dove's real beauty is "reality put on a pedestal."

Just as a reality TV turns ordinary Joes into stars for a day, so Dove's campaign elevates ordinary women into honorary beauties. "It's certainly not an indication that people are turning their backs on glamour," says Andy Nairn planning director at ad agency Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy. "It's tapping into the idea that there are no limitations on what people can achieve these days."

By showing a wider range of skin types and body shapes, Dove's advertising offers a democratized view of beauty to which all can aspire. The campaign also has an implied moral purpose, one that takes on the ethical issues of consumerism: the psychology of self-esteem, the supposed link between the pressure to conform and eating disorders and the various stigmas attaching to old age and disfigurement. In email correspondence, a Dove spokesperson confirmed that the campaign primarily sought to elevate a woman's self-esteem. This dimension is most visible in the latest skincare advertising, which was shot in black and white, and features letters telling the personal stories behind featured women's blemishes and styles.

In the short-term, championing the cause of real beauty has been a PR triumph for Dove, winning media attention and applause from many women. Longer-term there is the possibility that, by adopting a campaigning stance, Dove will come to mean more to customers than its rivals in the same way that Fairtrade brands, the Body Shop, or even Virgin, appeal above the heads of their competitors because of what they stand for. But will this ambition be fulfilled?

Aspiring to be a thought leader in business is a gamble that doesn't always pay off. Benetton tried famously to associate itself with the idea of compassion and human fellowship, but was judged exploitive when it used images of AIDS victims to promote its fashions. Trainer brand Reebok goaded consumers to take up active lifestyles using surreal commercials, featuring a huge beer belly chasing couch potatoes down the street. The campaign was intended to make a point to which all could relate. But the down-to-earth message failed to inspire and, when set against rival Nike's focus on elite sporting stars, Reebok ended up looking mundane and un-heroic.

But, there are also success stories. One of the best examples of social engineering by a brand, says JWT's Lidstone, was BT's "It's Good to Talk" campaign, in which the character actor Bob Hoskins urged British blokes to overcome their aversion to trivial chat. The advertising, which was presented as being all about cementing relationships, proved hugely popular and is credited with having shifted men toward a more relaxed and "female" phone culture.

So why do some brands prosper by linking themselves to wider societal issues and others fail? Here are some conclusions about what it takes for a brand to become a thought leader in its field.

1. The big idea has to fit with the brand's heritage and positioning. The Body Shop is credible when it takes on human rights, because it has a long history of championing ethical causes. Benetton merely looked cynical.
   
   
2. The cause has to be one that consumers want to buy into.
   
   
3. Execution is crucial. A big idea that is ripe for its time will stand or fall depending on how it is expressed. BT's "Good to Talk" campaign appealed because it gave men an excuse to buy into female telephone culture, without losing face. Reebok's belly campaign fell flat, in spite of people's worries over obesity, because its theme was too downbeat to inspire and to motivate.
   
   

The latest campaign has a harder edge, tipping the balance away from aspiration toward realism. It may be more honest, but does its honesty leave women enough freedom to dream?

[18-Apr-2005]