Watch the full ad here:

Claire & Daryl's thoughts:

"The Beauty industry makes me feel ugly.” This is the quote recalled by Daryl Fielding, WACL Member and one of the original agency team who interviewed Naomi Wolf when creating the Dove Real Beauty Campaign in 2001.

Daryl remembers the team having a gut reaction to the competitor ads they reviewed in a meeting, “The ads made us feel like crap, and we believed were designed to do so.” Dove decided they would be in this industry to do better. Gut instinct was validated by talking to psychologists, experts and by reviewing academic papers.

Yep, beauty ads at that time did make women feel ugly.

Evolution shows this story in the most compelling way, true, relevant, and resonant. Showing not telling. Quiet yet powerful.

What can we learn from it…

Great advertising stands the test of time because it plays to an enduring and deep customer insight and connects with a context that is bigger than the brand. And that context hasn’t changed… unattainable images of beauty surround us more than ever.

Dove ads don’t just recognise the problem… they offer solutions. The Dove Self Esteem fund, grassroots work the brand has undertaken for two decades tackling women’s battles with body image and self-esteem. The other solution Dove owned, was manifesting a more refreshing and inclusive vision of beauty in its ads.

Dove proves purpose driven advertising, when done authentically and creatively, continues to drive commercial success. Advertising can be bigger than selling products, it can influence and help shape culture and society in more positive ways.

Dove gets WACL’s vote – showing a more body positive representation of women and girls in advertising – will always be a feminist issue."