Dove launched a clip called ‘Evolution’ – sticking with the theme of real beauty that they had started earlier on. They produced a clip that has gone viral ( over a million views on Youtube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U
The concept is simple, but striking: an ordinary woman is gradually transformed into a model through the efforts of make-up artists, hairdressers, excellent lighting and computer enhancements. It’s a great and powerful concept and it shows us that what we see in the ‘traditional’ world of advertising, especially in fashion and beauty, is a distortion of reality. The clip shows how much transformation can be done through image management. I felt strangely touched by watching this, as it is clearly shows the hidden side of advertising. Read more on this: http://adage.com/columns/article?article_id=112837
I think the internet is creating a platform for a new form of truth to emerge, unlike traditional communication. Something that is more exposed, more authentic – youtube and big brother shows that people are fascinated by ‘reality’. Of course we will end up reinventing reality, and once again, marketers and propagandists will seek to appropriate the medium. But it doesn’t make it any less fascinating.
Phil