The hypocrisy of Unilever advertising?
Dove, a Unilever-owned brand, have launched quite the insightful viral video campaign, called Dove Onslaught, which aims to highlight how todays children are bombarded with false advertising messages on a constant basis.
The campaign video (above) does a great job at showing how the younger generation are being told what to look like, but when you consider that Dove are owned by Unilever, who also sell Slim Fast, is the organisation being hypocritical?
I’ve previously featured one of Dove’s viral advertising campaigns, Dove Evolution, in the twisted reality of fashion advertising. Worth a look if you like the Dove Onslaught example.
Perhaps these messages are simply marketing spin behind a multi-national company who is only looking out for itself?
Unilever’s subsidiary based in India, Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL), markets Fair & Lovely Skin Cream and Lotion, the largest selling skin care product in India. Fair & Lovely is being promoted as a ‘fairness face cream’ that will lighten your dark skin. Through their advertisements, Hindustan Lever spreads the message that a light skin is better than a dark skin. Here’s a short ad, translated into English.
And equally interesting, is this ad for Fair & Lovely, targetted at men.
When researching this blog post, I read some people call this kind of advertising racist, and that it promotes the idea that white skin is better, but can you counter that assumption with the proliferation of fake tanning products here in the UK, and how no-one bats an eyelid?
I think it all comes down to people wanting what they don’t have. If you want to be thin, drink Slim Fast, if you want to be white, use Fair & Lovely Skin Cream, if you want to stand up against the fashion industry, whilst maintaining your beautiful skin, use Dove.
Have your say
Is this hypocrisy, or simply catering to the needs of the consumer? Would the consumer have these needs if it wasn’t for the advertiser?
I’ve featured the Dove Onslaught campaign, because I think Ogilvy & Mather did a good job with it. I also wanted to show the flip-side of todays global marketing, and how one large corporation is in the business of making money, before doing what’s right for society.
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33 spot-on reader comments to “The hypocrisy of Unilever advertising?”
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I’m new to your site, and a little embarrassed to leave my wordpress.com website address…I’m new to blogging too, but loving it. When the DOVE campaign launched it’s “pro” aging line of products in the US, I was at first, very interested. But after visiting the site, and researching a bit farther, I realized it is just another spin on the age old “anti” aging slogan. Thanks for doing the research about the company. The line of products in India is news to me.
Hi David,
While I indeed understand the smell of hypocrisy here, I am prepared to accept the video for what it shows and throw out the politics and corporate baggage that goes with it. It does a great job sending the right message. Perhaps I’m oversimplifying or being lazy here, but to me the message is good; the politics of who is behind it runs a distant second in my mind - even if it ends up indirectly funding people who sell products counter to it’s message. If it even wakes up only a few parents then it’s worth it.
Hey DA,
You could look at the advertisements both ways for sure, but I for one don’t think there was that much thought involved. I think the complexity only runs so deep:
Problem: I want to sell Product X and make fat cash.
Solution: Sell it to people who want the qualities Product X will give them, regardless of color, nationality, sexual preference and whether or not they drive stick or auto.
It’s marketing. Good or bad, it’s what companies do.
Good post! Thanks for making me think past my bedtime,
Charlie
Business to my mind always has shades of hypocrisy, it is bad only if it blatant and bordering on lines of what can be termed unethical.
Each business has to expand, that is their purpose, and inthis expansion they have to cater tot he specific needs of various different markets… Dove when it was launched in India over a decade or maybe two back, was a premium product for a largely middle class nation, and maybe because of a collective lack of self esteem in the country, unilever(HLL) and a few other skin care firms recognised the thin line of demand for fairness in a predominantly dark country.. In their defence, they were only catering to the want of people and not creating a need per se… and the need is coming down these days.. thats one of the reasons they launched a male variant.. I guess it is one of those colonial fixations that India has..pretty much like its love for English more than its own national language..
And on a larger scale, you are looking at brands.. a company is just an investor looking for profits ..purely business.. in my opinion it would have been unethical or hypocritical if they were promising something more than what they actually deliver… which is not the case, they are just segregating different products based on the inherent demands of different markets.. it is in a way similar to you wanting have a different brand for your logo design works.. just separating a niche.. though of course in your case there is no trace of any hypocrisy..
I reckon Dove has noticed the recent pressure being put on ‘image’, and the voices that are now crying out against skinny catwalk models being made out to be the ‘norm’. I mean, just recently, Prada had a catwalk model with a figure!! Others will now follow suit, and the likes of Dove are going to reap credit for being one of the first to initiate this move - but it’s all money. There are shareholders to keep happy, and if there wasn’t money to be made, they wouldn’t be interested.
Don’t be embarassed about your WP.com blog. Your choice of theme is a nice one, and I’ve seen so much worse from those who are new to blogging!
Richard,
I can accept the video for what it is too. There’s always an alterior motive where multi-nationals are concerned, but it’s good to see a positive spin put on the message.
Charlie,
Always a pleasure when the content here makes someone think. Thanks for commenting.
Maneesh,
Good to get your insight into the Fair & Lovely Skin Cream. You’re right that there wouldn’t be a product if there wasn’t a need for it. Not a successful product anyway.
Armen,
A Prada model with a figure? That is good news! I don’t see the appeal one bit for waif-like catwalk models, and like a little something to hold on to.
I think the message is an important one. People (and especially women) need to hear it. I have never had a guy suggest I need a makeover. However…
Women are a different story. I could fill notebooks with “flaws” my female friends have pointed out could be fixed by makeup or cosmetic surgery. It is hard to be confident about your body in a group of girls. If you don’t join in with the “I hate my (insert imagined figure flaw here)”, they pick one for you.
My nose really bothered me in my teens. It reached its adult size about 10 years before the rest of my face did. My friends couldn’t understand why I didn’t go “Barbie”fy my nose into submission with a visit to a plastic surgeon. There were many years where it was really hard to see that the girl in the mirror wasn’t hideous, because I literally couldn’t see past my nose. The girl in the mirror may not be a supermodel, but you know, she’s kind of pretty when she feels like smiling.
Nothing like a little cross-cultural info to get perspective… I first saw a Chinese ad a few years ago for lightening cream, and was really surprised. I’m Eastern European, I live in the US with very fair skin, and am frequently told to go to the tanning salon — meanwhile, in other countries, that’s a more desirable trait… And we can find the same for weight - recent NYTimes article discussed the problem of obesity in Mauritania, where a woman isn’t beautiful if she doesn’t weigh at least 200 lbs.
So one word of advice a friend of mine once received from a retired Parisian prostitute: “If you tell them you’re pretty, they’ll believe you.”
Hi! David.. Its a long time I left a comment.. I was too busy to life my life you know.. HAHA!!
Anyways I am from the country where those Fair & Lovely Ads been broadcasted..
1. The Guy says work in the sun, not sitting in the A/C, though it was about having a good looking skin but they product itself sells for Fair and Lovely..
2. Yes! This country do demand a fairer complexion guys and girls one point of time.. But times have changed where people really look for success and smartness…BUT AGAIN Exceptions do exists.. and afraid to tell that exceptions may be of majority..
3. Racism still exists.. C’on..I have lived in Dubai-UAE where almost people of all nations exists in near to equal amounts.. based on Skin color I have never seen a Female Beauty saloon with a Dark Skinned Barber, Oh yeh! Dark skinned male barbers do exist in Male Saloon.
Never I have seen a dark skinned waiters or waiteress in a Good restaurent, thought their chefs and kitchen are filled with Dark people (Good thing cooks get paid more than waiters)
As people discriminate based on language, same may apply to skin colour.. which really hurts people.. Why so much.. Phillipinies origin people are in great demand in Gulf countries for their colour.. WHY?? All know it why..
Even though people give stats that Greatest talent pool is from Asia… Me being from India I have been matrimonial ads Demanding a FAIR GREEN CARD HOLDER LOOKING FOR AN INDIAN BRIDE?? WTF..
Accept it or not.. Things go as they are in demand.. but.. I am very sure things are almost getting to an end.. :D ..
Okay I enjoy my skin colour.. any girls out here :p
This is an interesing post. You certainly cover a wide spectrum of topics on your blog.
I know someone who used to work in advertising and they said that their job was just grab hold of people from and get them to buy. This is just a PR campaign to make people think Dove care about them. Most people sitting in fornt of the TV in zombie mode would not be conscious enough to realise what was going on. There is a good video by Bill Hicks that deals with these kind of issues.
It is interesting you bring up the racial issue here. In West Africa during the 1970’s and it is coming back again in the modern age, there was a lot of Africans who felt in neccesary to use products to bleach their skin to make them look more like white people. This practice was attacked by the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti in his mockingly titled song ‘Yellow Fever’.
Wow. I can’t believe I’m surprised. I tell you it really sucks to a black man. I appreciate you post this information. But I don’t appreciate you comparing it to tanning. Personally as an African American, I don’t understand why white people get tan. Because they never look brown and they look orange like carrots and look like jackasses. No offense.
But Thanks David. I will be sure to discuss this at my Barbershop, which is the place we black folks have intelligent talks at, lol. For some reason. That is some evil stuff.
And please post more stuff like this. As artist we have to think about the things we advertise.
Are these flash movies working for everyone? I cannot view them (and yes I have flash 9 installed)…
A very interesting post, David. I often ponder the relationship between advertising and social responsibility.
Most of the time, alas, there isn’t much of a relationship at all.
Hadn’t seen the Fair and Lovely ads; they are fascinating. Reflect a social pressure similar to the one that encourages women in Asian countries to have eyelid surgery to achieve the “more desirable” appearance of the Western eye.
If you’re interested, here’s a link to a few of my posts dealing with the topic of advertising:
http://thethoughtfulconsumer.blogspot.com/search/label/advertising
Its totally fake but Unilever does this a lot. There’s an ad doing the rounds in cinemas at the moment for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream which does a brief history of the company and how they are just a couple of idealistic hippies making great ice cream” - seems to miss out the point where they sell out to Unilever for $326million though…
I agree that this is targetted particularly at women, and also that it’s a message that should be spread far and wide. I was watching a documentary last night that mentioned how 2/3s of women aren’t happy with some aspect of their bodies. Quite a scary statistic, even if 95% of statistics are unreliable.
Keep smiling, and I’m sure you’re very pretty with a smile on your face.
Renata,
That’s a very apt quote you typed, “If you tell them you’re pretty, they’ll believe you.” Thanks for commenting.
Santosh,
That’s great you’re keeping busy, although sorry I can’t provide a dating service via my blog. ;) The ads you’ve seen, looking for Indian brides, are crazy, though not very surprising in todays age. I hope all’s well with you.
David,
Some might say I cover too many topics on my blog, but I post about what interests me in all creative industries, and advertising plays quite a big part of my site. Bill Hicks was an amazing comedian, and I’ve enjoyed watching almost all his live video performances.
Kenn,
This topic is bound to hold comparisons to tanning, because it’s all about changing what you have, when you’re not happy with it. I don’t sit in the sun with the hope of getting a tan, nor do I advocate the use of any tanning products. Personally I’d prefer to protect myself from skin cancer by keeping in the shade. Besides, my celtic skin just turns pink anyway.
I’m glad I’ve published something to get you talking, and appreciate you dropping in to comment.
Jermayn,
Sorry the videos haven’t shown for you. I must remember to post direct links to YouTube in future.
Cynthia,
I hadn’t heard ot the eyelid surgery before! Whilst surprised at first, it should’ve been expected. Sad though. Very sad.
Stuart,
So that’s how much Ben and Jerry made from the sale. More and more, it’s just all about the money. Economies are spinning the world faster and faster, and its axis is bearing the brunt.
Great post David. I wrote an article just last week about the advertising industry and overweight children and thought you might find it interesting:
Overweight Kids and TV: An Advertising Epidemic
Several recent studies have found significant associations between television advertising exposure and food consumption patterns. These studies suggest that the childhood obesity “epidemic” may not be caused by children watching too much TV, but rather the advertising they’re watching on it.
One of my readers pointed out the Dove Onslaught video campaign. I think that TV advertising influences our cognition and behavior much more that we realize. It’s my opinion that many of the “needs” expressed by advertising wouldn’t exist (or at least wouldn’t be as important) if it wasn’t for the advertiser.
This is a great discussion topic. People at my ad agency have been debating the bigger issue here, of how an umbrella brand like Unilever with multiple brands targeting different groups tries to keep a consistent message. The owner of my company just posted an article asking these questions on our blog - check it out for another view on this great topic… purethinking.typepad.com. i wonder how Unilever will respond to that LA times article!
I have a simpler approach. Turn off, tune out, avoid. I feel a lot calmer. _Everything_ in modern media is trying to sell you something, and a lot of it is designed to upset you.
1.) Corporations want to make money.
2.) Corporations want to please their target audience.
3.) Corporations want to be well liked.
4.) They’ll do anything to obtain the above 3 whether being hypocritical or not. I guess for them they just have to find a balance between it all and hope for the best.
That was a very interesting post, thank you for sharing.
I know a girl who’s body is half Asian and half European. Her white relatives always tell her how gorgeous she is because her skin is dark (darker than theirs anyway), and her dark relatives tell her how gorgeous she is because her skin is light.
It’s unfortunate that people identify themselves with their bodies, and thus if their body is beautiful they get their feeling of self worth from that. And if their bodies are ugly, they feel they are worthless.
I guess I have more than a few feelings about this, so I hope I can order them simply enough to be readable.
1. No one makes anyone buy into anything. I think that Fair and Lovely junk is stupid. Likewise, I think spray on tans are stupid. Unilever does not make me buy anything. I choose to buy it, and Unilever will continue to create it if the demand is great enough to warrant supply. This, then, returns to consumer and personal education. To demand that Unilever change would be to miss the real problem: that there are people who actually want to buy the product they’re pushing.
2. One message is better than no message at all.
3. Oversight is not uncommon in international business. I don’t mean to play Devil’s advocate here, but it is not out of the realm of reasonable possibility that Dove here and elsewhere does not feel too kindly toward “Fair and Lovely.” Different people exist in different companies in different places, even if they’re all somewhat connected under a parent company. This can be easily simplified by giving an example of a country: not all people in a country act or believe the same things, even though they are all citizens of the one place. Different things, different people, different markets.
4. Unilever is a big brand that owns or partly owns many little brands. No offense, but I personally believe it is absurd to expect a parent company to take full responsibility for the advertising campaigns of all its partner/owned brands, which range from completely different product lines and markets, to completely different nations, large and small. (Hell, Unilever even has pasta and rice packets in Australia–Continental.)
Yes, legally, Unilever would be held accountable for various issues, or the main Unilever in a particular country (more likely), but we aren’t talking legal matters here. We’re talking moral ones, in which case so many other things come into play that I think one misses a lot by only seeing the big picture, minus the details.
5. Food for thought. Dove may be hypocritical for being under a parent company that owns it and Slim Fast, but how hypocritical are we, as people, if we watch the Dove commercials and agree with them, while drinking a Slim Fast? Should we really hold companies to greater responsibility than we hold ourselves?
Thanks very much, and I agree with your stance on how there’s more of a ‘need’ due to advertising. Interesting article you wrote there too, cheers.
Ken,
That’s a good post, and I picked up on the comment from Angela of Adrants, saying about the Axe (Lynx deodorant) and Dove campaigns:
T,
That’s the easy thing to do, and even though I believe I can do the same, I wonder if, when walking through a supermarket, those ad messages might prompt me subliminally into picking up a different product. Still, I get what you’re saying.
PG,
There’s a fine balance, and it’d no doubt be incredibly complex to get everything right. Corporate conglomerates? Not my thing.
Chris,
Thanks for commenting. Back to the quote that Renata mentioned, “If you tell them you’re pretty, they’ll believe you.” If only more people thought like that, we’d all be beauties.
Lelia,
Food for thought indeed, and thanks for getting me thinking. I realise that people want to buy the product that Unilever are selling, but I question how much influence the advertiser has on the actual need. I’m not saying they’re fully responsible, but I do believe that people would be less inclined to purchase if they didn’t see so much advertising. Do you agree?
That’s a good point about people not getting on together under one umbrella, and goes to highlight the cause of the parent company, to make money.
Of course you’re absolutely right that ultimately we’re responsible for our own actions.
Unilever’s hypocrisy is consistent. Juxtapose the Dove Campaign for real beauty against the Axe ads.. Compare/contrast Slimfast ads with Onslaught. It goes on and on…
Becauses they consistently deliver messages that contradict each other, Unilever stands for nothing but greed.
And it all stinks.
Dear David,
I’m nutritionist and I teach nutrition and communication in Porto University - Portugal. I’m using your excelent post about Unilever to introduce my students to the world of design and advertising. Congratulations for all the site and contents !
Pedro Graça
I’m glad you can use my site content to for your lessons! Thanks for the compliment.
David,
As an assignment for University I’m part of a group analysing Unilever’s financial, social and environmental reporting. These contradictory adverts support the theory that corporate social responsibility is nothing more than ‘hard practise masquerading behind soft rhetoric;’ a wolf dressed in lamb’s clothing.
This is also reflected in Unilever’s role in creating the ‘Marine Stewardship Council’ despite the fact that they have been cited for polluting a Scottish river (1991) and were fined this year for polluting a river in China.
Also, if the customer is soveriegn, why do companies spend hundreds of millions on advertising?
Fascinating and helpful piece of work!!
That’s great that you found some use with this blog post, and I hope the uni assignment goes well.
Good luck.
it’s not hypocrisy to sell chemicals however you can make them, which is what Unilever do.
the hypocrisy is saying that they are “just kidding” about the way they market Axe body spray.
Isn’t fair and lovely the same as fake tan? Only the opposite way around obviously.
I actually don’t find this racist…let me explain. I am Chinese, and In East Asia, the same desire for fair skin exists as it does in India. This is because if you are darkened by the sun, it means that you work outdoors and are “lower class.” The middle/upperclass are white collar, and women walk around carrying umbrellas to keep their fair skin. Those that must toil in the sun are usually of a lower class. The culture views fair skin as pure, delicate, beautiful. It is common to use whitening lotions. Lighter skin also signifies healthier skin which has not be sun damaged.
In America, being tan means you are of the middle/upper class. You have the luxury of time and money to travel, go to the beach, lay out in the sun, while the lower class has to stay in doors in McDonalds and flip burgers. Not only are products like Jergens sunless everyday lotion popular, but also instant bronze lotions by Neutrogena and bronze powders. People in America want to be darker.
Interestingly enough, when in America I use bronzer every day. When in China, I don’t. It’s all about the culture you’re in and what definition of beauty you are surrounded with.
Yes - I realize that my explanation only applies to those people that are able to darken/lighten their skin to some degree (this doesn’t apply to Africans). But the products Unilever is selling isn’t designed to change someone’s race.. just their “tan.” And tan is a fashion and a fad. In America, tons of beauty aisles are lined with tanning lotions, sprays, bronzers, etc. In Asia, they are lined with whitening and skin lightening products. Who is to say one aisle is racist versus the other? You can only claim that the Asian products are racist if you claim the American brands and American drug store are racist and want everyone to look darker than they naturally are.
Exactly.