The Photoshop Effect

Dove - Amy

Another Dove Campaign For Real Beauty internet short.

"All Asses Were Not Created Equal" My Ass

Levi's new ad campaign "All Asses Were Not Created Equal" is a great idea. Custom fit jeans for regular women. I'm all for this idea... until it comes to the actual ads. 

When I first saw this advertisement I didn't understand what was so special about these jeans. I saw three very thin, beautiful models like usual. It wasn't until I read the description of the jeans that I understood what Levi's was trying to accomplish.

Slight Curve: Celebrates straight figures, defines your waist, enhances your curves

Demi Curve: Frames prefect proportions, flatters your waist, smooths your shape

Bold Curve: Honors real curves, hugs your waist, no gaping or pulling

If hotness truly comes in all shapes and sizes why not showcase that? Use plus sized models if necessary or even better use real women. If a young girl were to see one of these ads saying "bold curve" then showing the image of a thin model showing the jeans he perception of what a curvy woman would be distorted. 

This ad alone is perfect. No models showing the desired size for that jean. Just a simple statement, a mission statement really. 

Yes, all asses were not created equal. Show it, don't just say it. 

Cartoons?!

In the time we are living in you see these changes everywhere, even in children's cartoons.

Many companies have decided to give their characters a fresh new look and make them thin and cute. 

Many argue that this promotes a healthy body  image for little girls. Their main argument is Strawberry Shortcake, seeing a little pudgy girl named after a dessert isn't good to put in children's minds. If they see their idol go from short with baby fat to taller and slimmer, it will make them want to work towards that look as well.

You know how little kids can be when they see their favorite cartoon, you see it all the time around Halloween, they want to be just like them.

In my opinion, I think this would just start off those self conscious feelings even sooner in life. If anything people should make cartoons that explain "it's OK to look the way you do, whether your tall, short, thin, or large."

Another Dove Film - Daughters

This is another internet video short created by Dove for their Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. It shows daughters talking about what they don't like about themselves and how the moms try to help. 

EasyTone

Reebok has recently introduced a new shoe called the Reebok Easy Tone. Many think these were made to compete with the Sketchers Shape Ups.

When you look at the Reebok ads compared with the Sketchers ads you can tell which one is trying harder. 

The Reebok ads are more sexy and is using the "sex sells" approach while sketchers are just trying to sell.

In all the Reebok ads they are using women and their attractive features, they focus on the butt to get people to notice. It wouldn't be so bad if they weren't just wearing underwear in the ad. To me this seems more risqué.

It's so impersonal and degrading to only use the lower half of women in these ads. It gives off the idea that women need to have a toned butt to be beautiful. 

Affects

Many people don't understand what is so bad about the women in the media and advertisements and how they are portrayed.

 When young people, not only girls, see these ads and how thin the women are some may begin to  get the feeling that they are not pretty enough. 

This can lead to many different outcomes like eating disorders such as:

• Anorexia
• Bulimia
• Binge Eating

Campaign For Real Beauty

In 2004, Dove launched the Dove Campaign For Real Beauty.

The campaign was meant to celebrate all shapes, sizes, skin color, skin texture, etc. of women. It was meant to help women gain confidence with their body. 

It's ads features normal everyday women, not models, who are comfortable and confident in their own skin.

I love these ads. They are so straight forward and true. Be confident and carefree. Don't care about what others think of you, as long as you like yourself that's all that matters.

 Dove has launched multiple internet video shorts showing the effects of lack of self esteem and how we can help. 

Obviously not everyone thinks these ads are necessary. How else are people going to tell their daughters they don't have to be like all the women they see in magazines and on tv? If someone doesn't take a stand millions of girls could grow up to have self esteem issues. The Dove Campaign for Beauty is a start. 

Chubby or Stout?

In the 1950's Lane Bryant came out with a free catalog for "chubbies".

 With advertisements like these, saying women need to be thin or that these sizes are considered large or obese, how do we not expect people to worry about their weight and try to be super thin.

Dove Onslaught

Not Just Women

Men are also victim to these advertising ploys. They too are effected by what is shown in advertisements. Men with six packs and perfect bone structure are the usual models for many ad campaigns for mens products. They can evolve self esteem issues just like women can. 

This ad, like most ads showing men with women next to them, can make a man feel like he doesn't have it all. It may make a man think they need to have a gorgeous girlfriend or just a woman to drape their arm over. Men face the same battles women do when it comes to advertising.

Sex Sells

Everybody's heard it, everybody knows it. Sex sells. It's true, sex does sell. Almost everything you've ever purchased you did to make yourself appealing to others, whether this be a cool new phone or sexy clothing.

 But how far is too far? It seems like companies are going overboard and doing anything to get their products out on the market. Companies now use extreme measures to try to sell.

When sex is used to advertise a product, more often than not, the ideas towards sex are sold with the product. The idea that certain things are sexy comes along with the advertisements and products being sold. 

Personally, I hate the idea of using looks and sexiness to sell products but I will admit that it is the most efficient way to get it done. 

Model Evolution With Makeup And Photoshop

This video was filmed for a dove campaign for real beauty. When I first saw this I was shocked to see, even after all the make up and hairstyling, what they did to the image to make this woman "desirable".

For Love and Fashion

In many fashion advertisements you also see the women posed next to or draped over sexy young men.

This can give women the false impression that you need a man in your life to be successful and happy.

In most of the advertisements you see with both men and women, more so fashion advertisements than anything else, the women are the more dominant figure in the ad. Usually placed closer to the camera than the man.

The strategic placing of the men and women in ads could be because the product they are trying to sell is more directed towards women but this also sends out the message that since the women in the advertisements are more dominant and are focused more on, they are more successful and important.

 This subconscious thought could trigger the impression that if you buy this brands products, you will become successful and happy and get a man of your own who you will be more successful than.

Warped Perception

In practically every advertisement you see, the women used are tall, beautiful, and very thin. 

When these advertisements are seen, especially by young teenage girls, the people seeing them get a warped perception of how women are supposed to be. Advertisements nowadays can hurt not only a womens opinion about themselves but also effect how they will carry themselves in the future.