In a day where digital design renders face-lifts, tummy-tucks and general tune-ups de rigueur, Dove remains an innovative stand-out as they extend their "Real Beauty" campaign beyond advertising. 

33 million women made over advertising that highlighted their insecurities and impacted their self-esteem as part of the Dove Ad Makeover campaign last year, and in honor of International Women's Day, the brand is reprising the campaign and taking it global.

The Dove Ad Makeover invites women to send positive messages to other women through a Facebook application. "Dove has always listened to women and we feel that International Women's Day is the perfect time to once again inspire them by bringing our Ad Makeover Facebook app to America and to 18 countries around the world," said Rob Candelino, VP Unilever Skincare, in a press release.

The Unilever-owned brand is refreshing its long-running, and highly acclaimed "Dove Campaign for Real Beauty"—which fights unrealistic portrayals of women while pushing for realistic, positive ad messaging—with a social media-promoted Photoshop Action that works like a Trojan Horse by leveraging the element of surprise on those responsible for "unreal beauty" images in advertising.Continue reading...

Google's homepage logo today is a tribute to International Women's Day, celebrated on March 8th since the early 1900's. The Google Doodle (as they call their logo reinterpretations) is driving traffic to the official IWD website for an overview of the range of events and activities taking place around the world today, and you can also participate virtually on Facebook and Twitter (hashtags: #IWD or #IWD12).

One must-read snapshot today comes from the Worldwatch Institute: 12 innovations that are "helping women get access to credit, improve their incomes, feed their families, introduce sustainable crops to markets, and reduce rural poverty."

Google is also inviting students to submit their designs for the annual Doodle 4 Google competition. This year's theme: "If I could travel in time, I'd visit..."

And below, check out how Dove celebrated IWD in Asia.Continue reading...

The Google homepage today, you may have noted, features a "Google Doodle" logo in honor of International Women's Day. Click on it to connect to Google's special website marking IWD's centenary of raising awareness about the state of women's rights.

Google and IWD organizers are backing International Women for Women's Join Women on the Bridge campaign, supported by actress Geena Davis (see her PSA, above). Other brands are also doing their part.Continue reading...

Where Reese Witherspoon's International Women's Day campaign for Avon is earnest, some celeb Brit wits address the same issue — domestic violence, plus and a host of other issues holding back women's equality — with dark wit.

The PSA above, running in cinemas and on British TV, depicts actor Daniel Craig, in his guise as James Bond, putting himself, literally, in a woman's shoes.Continue reading...

Tuesday, March 8th, marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. On behalf of the Avon Foundation, the brand's global ambassador since 2007, actress Reese Witherspoon, is being featured in a new PSA campaign that speaks out against domestic violence.Continue reading...