Comments on: BRANDWATCH: When Dove Cries http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2007/08/brandwatch-when-dove-cries/ Lollards in the high church of low culture Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:31:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Pete http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2007/08/brandwatch-when-dove-cries/#comment-303306 Pete Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:18:59 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2007/08/brandwatch-when-dove-cries/#comment-303306 The issues around anorexia are really complex and much more about control than body image. But the external issues around anorexia are all body image. One would think that whoever is handling the Dove account is going to be relatively sensitive to this, but its not guaranteed. One of the other central issues of anorexia is all about attention, and there is no more attention than being on TV. But then TV puts on pounds (especially if the aspect ratio is wrong). If handled well (ie due care and attention to the psychological state of the girls - with them having the right to pull the ad if they want to) it could actually be quite educational. It will certainly play to the "revulsion" / "guilt" pairing above. It just needs Dove to retain its moral high ground which it has already built up. The problem however sits in this difficult ground between the publics view of anorexics as "silly little girls who starve themselves because they think they are fat/unattractive" and the reality. Because Doves message, that your are beautiful whatever you look like IS NOT THE KEY ISSUE OF ANOREXIA. (But IS the key issue which drives the beauty industry). The issues around anorexia are really complex and much more about control than body image. But the external issues around anorexia are all body image. One would think that whoever is handling the Dove account is going to be relatively sensitive to this, but its not guaranteed.

One of the other central issues of anorexia is all about attention, and there is no more attention than being on TV. But then TV puts on pounds (especially if the aspect ratio is wrong). If handled well (ie due care and attention to the psychological state of the girls - with them having the right to pull the ad if they want to) it could actually be quite educational. It will certainly play to the “revulsion” / “guilt” pairing above. It just needs Dove to retain its moral high ground which it has already built up.

The problem however sits in this difficult ground between the publics view of anorexics as “silly little girls who starve themselves because they think they are fat/unattractive” and the reality. Because Doves message, that your are beautiful whatever you look like IS NOT THE KEY ISSUE OF ANOREXIA. (But IS the key issue which drives the beauty industry).

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