Companies that make products like Special K and Dove are cashing in on ‘feel good’ messages about body image, while at the same time sending a message to women that they can be prettier and thinner if they buy their products. Blogs like Truthfully and the Belle Jar are calling the practice into question, noting that the companies do not actually care about your body image.
They only use this new marketing scheme – with messages about realizing your inner beauty - because they know that a lot of talk has been going around about loving who you are and what you look like no matter what.
What society doesn’t know is that these companies stand for the exact opposite than what they’ve been saying, feminist commentators point out. People who view these commercials receive the same message from traditional sex-selling commercials that the most important thing that you can do in your life is to look attractive. Often times, it doesn’t even cross the mind of people if the product is actually good for them or not either, as long as the commercial momentarily makes them feel good.
There has been very little coverage attacking these companies because people willingly buy into these campaigns. There have been a few blog posts about it giving opinions on both sides of the story that it’s good companies are leaning more towards this kind of advertising, and there are others who insist it’s just as bad.
References:
Truthfully,“hey dove, I cried, but that doesn’t mean you nailed it.”April 22, 2013. http://www.truthfully.ca/2013/04/22/the-dove-commercial-made-me-cr/
Susan Krashinsky. “Kellogg’s Special K rebrands dieting image with self-empowerment.” The Globe and Mail, September 21, 2015. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/kelloggs-special-k-rebrands-dieting-image-with-self-empowerment/article26464544/
The Belle Jar. “Dove Does Not Give A Shit About Whether Or Not You Feel Beautiful.” April 22, 2013.http://bellejar.ca/2013/04/22/dove-does-not-give-a-shit-about-whether-or-not-you-feel-beautiful/
Rebecca Harris, “Special K ditches diet talk in new campaign.” Marketing, September 24, 2015. http://www.marketingmag.ca/brands/special-k-ditches-diet-talk-in-new-campaign-157235
Nicole German, “Special K Cereal: True Health Revealed.” Dietblog, 2016. http://www.diet-blog.com/11/special_k_cereal_true_health_revealed.php
Ethereal Aura Spa, “Stop Using Soap on Your Skin- even Sensitive Skin Dove Soap.” September 30, 2015. http://www.etherealauraspa.com/blog/stop-using-soap
Student Researcher: Richelle Peace (University of Regina)
Faculty Evaluator: Patricia Elliott (University of Regina)
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