Dove has launched the Real Beauty campaign in Asia, with a subtle difference. The ad is the same as the U. S. counterpart; but is tailored to the women of the Asia. The ad highlights their "so called" flaws, furthering the idea that these distinguishing characteristics enhance their beauty.
Whereas the U.S. ad says that a woman's freckles are beautiful, that same ad notes that the darker complected Asian women should never be ashamed of their apperance. It is just as celebratory of her darker complexion as her fair complected but freckled counterpart.
The ad itself feeds into the American Code, in the sense that Americans are perceived to haphazardly do things, while the rest of the world wonders, "how do we finish at the top?" The lady in the U.S. version of the ad says "I AM BEAUTIFUL IN SPITE OF MY FRECKLES!" Her pose speaks it; the smirk on her face is daring the reader to convince her otherwise.
The Asian version adapts this notion with a subtle difference. The ad uses a darker complected woman, with a softer pose. She has no real noticeable flaws other than her complexion. She quietly speaks to the fact that she is just as beautiful as any fair complected Asian woman. Even though the ad has the same message, U.S. advertisements are more noted for having a John Wayne caviler type attitude.
I think these two ads give two very different messages. In my opinion, the Asian woman doesn't look as comfortable in her skin as the woman in the US version. She looks uneasy and a bit staged while the woman in the US version looks completely comfortable and a but braggish. I think Dove coukd have done a better job at making the Asian woman look more comfortable and confident.
ReplyDeleteI think there is an resistance or a reluctance on the part of the Asian woman to confront the cultural sterotypes that she faces everyday. Whereas the American woman simply does not care, and takes the attitude, "I dare you to say that I am not beautiful!" There is a clear disconnect there. And maybe it has something to do with the fact that Asian women may not be considered equal to their male counterpart when it comes to having a voice, and how they are viewed by their male counterparts. It seems like there is a question of what considered beautiful, because she seems to not embrace the fact that she is attractive, that she is beautiful.
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