Brands: still selling hope?

London, it’s been a mixed summer of Sangria in the sun and Rioja in the rain. Needless to say, at every dinner party, BBQ’s or drinks reception, one has to relieve oneself (bio break for my American colleagues) and that is when my eyes start to wander, checking out my mainly female friends’ favoured bathroom brands.

During recent visits I’ve noticed an increasingly common sight, the repeated appearance of one brand, more than most; Dove, especially its body firming shower gel.

Now I used to work in an agency, managing the ad campaigns for a large American skincare brand. So my curiosity was aroused. Are all of Britain’s bathroom’s bulging with Dove products? If so, why? Have I missed something?

Being at the front line on the battlefield of over promises, I would have thought most female consumers would see through skincare ads. Yet, even today, women are still bombarded with cosmetic hyperbole, assurances and guarantees that, if they buy…let’s see…“long lasting, body moisturising, skin firming, beauty balm with formula blah, with prota this and beta that”, they too, like the anorexic giraffe in the ad, will be transported to skincare Shangri-La. But women keep buying.

So what is Dove doing right?

I’ve done a little checking. It seems that to permeate the cynical dermis of today’s savvy female consumers and inject believability to their selling proposition, Dove adopted an issue led marketing strategy. Apparently Dove “seeks to challenge today's one dimensional and restrictive view of beauty by showing how beauty can come in many different shapes and sizes". From what I have read it seems that this “Real Beauty” campaign, featuring “real” women and addressing “real” beauty issues has been well received. I'll try and get a copy of one an post a pic.

Now ok. I’ll admit that Dove’s issue-driven strategy does have a refreshing tone and executional approach – but let’s not fool ourselves, the Dove campaign is no different in its strategic objective than any other cosmetic or skincare brand.

Its aim?  To sell, sell sell.  It’s owned buy Unilever after all!

I wonder?  Are women really buying Dove because of its stance in ditching the sectors traditional formula of projecting aspirational “unreal” beauty. Or is it something else?

So with a little intrigue and curiosity I am going to conduct my own informal but reasonably robust market research.

My real respondents?

Four real beauties.

Different lives, different shapes, different sizes, all with Dove in their bathrooms. What’s the connection?

I’ll not name names just initials.

MVE, 37, sagacious, sassy mother of two.
PE, 40, iconoclastic, intelligent, independent professional SWF
SP, 37, slimline, separated, single mother of two with a healthy share of opinions to boot.
SC, 36, insightful professional by day, pub landlady by night, ironic to the core.

Does Charles Revlon's fabled quote “We don’t sell cosmetics, we sell hope” still strike at the heart of why women buy cosmtics and skin care products?

Or do my real beauties simply buy the advertising?

I’ll find out and report back.

Comments

[Catherine]

I too am a Dove fan, but have been prior to their new ad campaign (which makes me like them lots more!) It's simple -- the products are simple, not laced with gobs of shit and prota this, beta that. And they smell nice and soft and simple. And I grew up with it. I feel like they've sort of co-opted Ivory's 99.99% pure idea -- maybe nostalgia is part of the play? Interested to hear what you find out. And hullo to the pub landlady if you see her this weekend.

[Catherine]

I too am a Dove fan, but have been prior to their new ad campaign (which makes me like them lots more!) It's simple -- the products are simple, not laced with gobs of shit and prota this, beta that. And they smell nice and soft and simple. And I grew up with it. I feel like they've sort of co-opted Ivory's 99.99% pure idea -- maybe nostalgia is part of the play? Interested to hear what you find out. And hullo to the pub landlady if you see her this weekend.

[Jeff]

For what it's worth, I like the new Dove campaign. It seems honest, even though I know it's just advertising.

[Anne Bailey]

What about AB, ageing well, 53 year old grandmother of one and mother of three who also has Dove in her bathroom. I don't think I buy it because of the advertising, in fact I began buying it long before this new ad campaign. Unlike other shower products, Dove doesn't disappear the minute you put it on your skin. I like the silky feel of it and the lingering perfume. However I have resisted the body firming shower gel. Unlike the four beauties mentioned above I am a little older (not necessarily wiser) and maybe more resigned to the fact, that we all eventually succumb to the way of all flesh ie wrinkles/ sagging etc. Wouldn't it be great if only a little bit of shower gel could rectify that, but unfortunately the only answer is either a lot of money on cosmetic surgery or a lot of work outs at the gym ..... the former I can't afford,
the latter I don't have the time or energy for! Maybe I'll have to give that shower gel a try!

[mark fallows]

AB - interesting

you capture the essence of what i believe.

Real Beauty is about wrinkles and sagging and if Dove was really brave that is what they would depict in their advertising.

[Catherine]

Mark - but if Dove was all about embracing wrinkles, why the hell would anybody buy their stuff? You can get wrinkles all by yourself.