Dove recreates iconic ‘Real Beauty’ campaign to tackle AI
20 years after the original work, Unilever’s Dove has recreated its ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’, tackling the unprecedented pressure women face as AI threatens real beauty.
The 2004 ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’ was said to challenge society, media and the beauty industry itself, to change the representation of women, and face the harmful, unrealistic standards of beauty for women and girls.
2004 vs 2024
To mark its 20th anniversary, Dove conducted a study of beauty around the world to understand the impacts.
According to the report, 80% of Australian women and 78% of girls feel pressured to maintain a healthy appearance. 75% of women and 67% of girls feel pressure to maintain a slim figure, while 68% and 61%, respectively, feel the burden of having a small waist.
“Dove has always stood for real beauty, and our commitment to never using AI in our ads underscores our dedication to authenticity,” said Tess Giordimaina, marketing manager for Dove.
44% of Australian women expressed a willingness to sacrifice a year of their lives to attain societal beauty ideals, exceeding the global average of 38%. 2 in 3 Australian women believe that contemporary expectations for physical attractiveness surpass those of previous generations.
The survey found that the rise of AI is becoming a threat to women’s wellbeing, with 1 in 2 Aussie women feeling pressured to alter their appearance based on online images, despite knowing they are ofte fake or AI-generated. More than 4 in 5 women said they had been exposed to harmful beauty content online.
74% of women and 68% of girls acknowledged the reality of digitally altered images in the media.
As part of the campaign, Dove has committed to never using AI to represent real women in its advertising – pledging to accelerate its efforts to champion diversity and transparency, and take action to shatter beauty stereotypes.
To help set new digital standards in Australia, the brand has introduced its Real Beauty Prompt Guidelines.
“By introducing the Real Beauty Prompt Guidelines, we aim to foster a more inclusive and transparent approach to beauty in the digital age. It’s our mission to uplift women and girls everywhere and ensure they see their true selves reflected in the media,” Giordimaina said.
Chelsea Bonner, CEO of Bella Management, who is working in partnership with Dove, added: “As someone who has fought to redefine beauty standards, I’ve seen the harmful effects of unrealistic beauty ideals.
“AI-generated content only worsens this issue, bombarding us with unattainable images. Dove’s commitment to real beauty, refusing to use AI generated imitation humans in advertising and promoting transparency with the Real Beauty Prompt Guidelines are critical steps in protecting and celebrating authentic beauty.”
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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