If you watch TV or surf the web at all (especially msn.com), you've probably seen advertisements for Dove soap and their Campaign for Real Beauty. I came across another one today and was finally intrigued enough to look them up. The campaign 'promotes the idea that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and ages'. Cool, right?! It's a refreshing example of not using sex to sell. And so I was curious... where did such a campaign come from? What set them apart?
Turns out Dove is owned by Unilever, and was founded by a French dude with the awesome name of Lord Leverhulme. His main business goal is to 'save lives and preserve health' - still cool. The company claims to still live by those values, promoting products 'that help our consumers look good, feel good and get more out of life. Dove and [here's the kicker!] Axe are both great examples of that mission'. Axe. As in Axe Body Spray. As in the commercial where the surfer gets out of the water, sprays on some Axe, and literally thousands of bikini-clad models rush the beach from every direction.
Take note - I've got nothing against the product, nothing at all. If you use Axe, awesome! You definitely smell better than I do. It just seems contradictory to me that the two are owned by the same company. But I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that a company that claims to have one of the most creative marketing divisions in the world is able to separate their products enough to keep people from noticing (or caring). And so the search continues - finding companies that stick to values for values' sake, not to reach a specific target group.
No comments:
Post a Comment