All throughout the media we see women being sexualized. This advert for protein world reinforces the idea of the perfect beach body. In the advert we see this one body type in a bikini reading the words, are you beach body ready? The effects this can have on women, especially young vulnerable women, is they will feel this is that you should look like this in order to have a beach body. By showing this model next to the idea of a ‘beach body’ it is saying that this is what the perfect beach body looks like and therefore is you don’t look like this you don’t have a beach body. This body shaming is so detrimental to young women’s mental health as if social media isn’t bad enough.
However, this incredibly diverse dove advert shows the beauty of different body types, ethnicities and different ages. However, unlike the protein world advert, it creates the idea that no one is perfect, we are just beautiful in our own way as no one's bodies are the same. Not only is it great to see these adverts but Sales for Dove jumped from $2.5 to $4 billion in the campaign’s first ten years. This shows that not only is this good to break away stereotypes of women's bodies, but it is also working people like seeing this.
Also, even though it is not made by dove I love this response to the controversial advert as it breaks away from the idea of a perfect beach body.
The Dove 'Real Beauty' campaigns are a great example of how the 'template of femininity' so often constructed & reinforced by the media is being broken down by the very same industries. As the links between body image and mental health are increasingly linked the media has been encouraged to take greater responsibility over the representations they promote - which makes the 'Beach Body Ready' advert all the more shocking! I absolutely love Dove's response to it - funny & clever. I would be curious about what Butler would say about the Dove campaigns - whilst they are undoubtedly challenging the myth of the 'perfect woman' they do base themselves within the idea that women have a very specific identity.…