Unilever's "Axe" Ad Campaign Contradicts Dove "Real Beauty" Campaign

The efforts by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty appear admirable in this society of hyper-sexualized advertising. At the Gracie Awards, an honor is given to one special woman called the "Dove Real Beauty Award." The chair of the Grand EFFIE Awards said that "The Dove campaign was...rooted in a powerful human and cultural insight: that beauty has heretofore been defined by the media and is actually defined much differently by real women," before awarding Dove for their effectiveness. Ultimately, of course, the goal is to sell some deodorant and anti-cellulite cream, so the appeal to real women is just good business. The desire to debunk stereotypes, however, goes much deeper than gels and lotions. This stance is directly contradicted by Dove's parent company, Unilever, continuing another notable campaign- Axe.

According to the Unilever website, the Dove campaign began out of concern that women have unhealthy images of themselves thanks to the media. The website mournfully reports, "One survey, for example, found that 75% of teenage girls felt 'depressed, guilty and shameful' after spending just three minutes leafing through a fashion magazine." In response, women of all sorts are encouraged to redefine beauty by looking to the inside and, we can't forget, using Dove products.

The campaign's website delves deep into self-esteem issues that plague young girls as early as age 8. "Are you Media Smart" displays sexy ad images and asks the viewer how it makes them feel. "Self-Esteem Bubble" encourages girls to find their worth in themselves rather than in others' opinions. Other features work to disenchant the imagery that we see in print and on screen and dispel the myths about the way that bodies grow and change. Complete with discussion boards and short "films," this seems to be the one-stop-shop for all things "feel good." Dove has a long way to go if they want to defeat their enemy, though. As one film clip portrays, degrading images are an "Onslaught" on our senses.

Ironically, one champion of the other side can also be linked to Unilever. If Dove is the poster product for females, Axe is the pinup for men. According to Unilever's website (the same site that bemoaned the dangers of degradation of women by the media) "Our award-winning ads and marketing are equally adventurous. In Colombia, for instance, a female Axe Patrol visits bars and clubs, frisking guys and applying body spray." The Axe agenda operates under the premise that the products will "keep guys a step ahead in the mating game." Underscored by the recent Bom-chika-wah-wah campaign, Axe commercials are laden with women who seemingly can't control their desires once they catch the fragrance. It should also be noted that each of these women are shaped to perfection, most of them portrayed to be around the ages of 16-20.

In contrast with the Real Beauty site, Axe's domains include a nearly pornographic download that claims to be "often arousing," a woman in lingerie who reacts seductively as you "tickle" her with a feather, and scores of other interactive feature involving scantily clad women ready to cater to the Axe-wearer's every desire. The Bom-chika-wah-wah video transforms an average young woman into a lingerie-sporting seductress as three others dance suggestively around poles. Unilever links to over 25 Axe sites in multiple languages, a statement that the campaign is extensive and showing no signs of slowing.

The clash of these two advertising avenues says much (or little) for the integrity of the Unilever corporation. Certainly, any good that the Real Beauty messages accomplish is only diminished by the damage that Axe does with a single commercial. While young women struggle to find hope that they are loved for who they are, young men are taught to "find the eye candy" and fantasize about a woman who offers, "I'll go to your room with you, but I'm not taking off my high heels."

One thing can be said, however: neither Dove nor Axe will lose their demographic any time soon. As long as companies like Unilever continually enshrine an ultra-sexual, ultra-fictional woman, there will always be the search for self-worth among the women "in real life." Young boys will watch the ads with wide, once innocent eyes, then convince their parents that they have outgrown Shrek- it's time for Axe. Young girls will see the undulating, perfect bodies but will truly watch the reactions of the boys, all the while loathing the fact that they look nothing like those girls and wondering if any boy could ever love them. And Dove will come to the rescue.

The game is up, Unilever. We aren't buying the lies anymore.