Below, there is a link to an article provided which features a new campaign by American Eagle's lingerie store, Aerie. What is special about this campaign is that it is allegedly photoshop-free. Sadly, I highly doubt this Aerie campaign is entirely retouch-free but it does not change its message.
I think this Aerie campaign is very reminiscent of Dove's beauty campaign in the sense that each message conveys one that "the real you" is beautiful. This is very effective in establishing good relationships with consumers because the campaign makes them feel good about themselves and comfortable buying and wearing the products.
However, these are the necessary steps that need to be taken to head in the right direction in relaying certain messages about body image. Often, advertisements that feature people manipulate their appearance using photo-editing software which has been accused of instilling false ideas about the human anatomy to those who consume the ads.
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/aerie-photoshop
Reading this post I also immediately thought of the Dove commercials on “real beauty” that aired from 2005 and on. These products are selling to different audiences but have the same common denominator – real women that are beautiful. Dove probably targets woman ages 20 - 70 in these ads, and Aerie focuses on teens to late 20’s. Dove, having a more mature consumer, showcases woman that are not models, but are beautiful in their own right. They may not be perfect, but they are happy and feel great in what they are wearing. In the Aerie’s ads, these girls look to be the models they normally use, but unedited in Photoshop.
ReplyDeleteI think Aerie is missing the mark. The showcased photo on the blog, the girl’s back in the pink underwear, shows a young girl with what most people would consider a perfect body. She is a 20-year-old girl that doesn’t have age spots, blemishes, cellulite, or any obvious imperfections. Why would she need retouched? She’s gorgeous. I think the idea behind stating, “be the real sexy you” is meant for the girls that are already a little self-conscience and need that confidence boost.
Links to Dove ad photos:
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/1/9/1231542355758/The-Dove-skincare-adverti-002.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/04/29/article-2316617-198AF9CF000005DC-590_640x479.jpg