Dove’s new ad, ‘Toxic Influence‘ aims to pull back the curtain on misleading and unrealistic beauty standards online.
It’s no secret that social media is taking a toll on young women’s self-esteem. We are constantly being bombarded with unrealistic beauty standards.
Often the beauty standards we see online, Instagram/Facebook/Twitter/TikTok aren’t even real and are the result of editing, filters and even deep fakes.
Dove’s new campaign features mothers and daughters discussing social media. Some of the daughters even discuss the positive impact social media has had on them.
Meanwhile, Beauty Influencers play in the background sharing some questionable tips.
The commercial then uses deep-fake technology to switch mothers with beauty influencers. Suddenly the Mums in the ad are offering questionable advice instead of beauty influencers.
You know advice like to use preventive botox and powders to stop you from eating – stuff that perhaps sounds crazy coming out of a Mums’s mouth is a normal part of beauty influencer culture.
One ‘mother’ even says, “Remember skinny is never finished.”
Ultimately the switch-up with the mothers now sharing this information effectively points out how damaging it is.
A sign then flashes on the screen, “You wouldn’t say that to your daughter but she hears it every day.”
The switch-up is also clearly used to help promote more honest conversations between mothers and daughters about the impact of social media.
The ad ultimately instructs parents to visit the Dove Self-Esteem Project website. A tool designed to help parents navigate social media with their teens.
Credits:
Agency: Ogilvy
Global ECD: Daniel Fisher
Global Creative Director: Francesco Grandi
Creatives: Phil Gull, Helen Giles
Design Lead: Sian Hughes
Production Company: Smuggler
Director: Henry-Alex Rubin
