Dove's new pro-age campaign for real beauty, banned because of nudity

Dove's new pro-age campaign for real beauty, banned because of nudity

Dove is at it again with their campaign for real beauty, currently airing several different parts of the campaign. Or not airing, as the case is with their Pro Age ad. Six over-50 gorgeous women do their best 'calender girl' homage in the latest ad posing buck naked in the ad, which is banned from airing because - get this - it "shows too much skin". Seems the TV ads don't adhere to FCC regulations.
GettyImages blog says:

This whole debacle is fascinating to me on two fronts. 1) How can it be that Ms. Spears is allowed to gyrate in a bikini top on MTV with a snake whilst singing "I'm a slave for you" to 12 year olds, but 50-something women are not allowed to be shown sans clothes in what I would argue is a completely tasteful, if not downright elegant manner? And 2) why is said "debacle" not more of a…well…debacle? The only mainstream coverage I was able to find on this was here, and that's on a Canadian news site.



The use of female nudity to sell products under any banner is exploitative of women's sexuality, opponents say, pointing out that Dove is "focusing on outward beauty and using nudity to do so. Their message basically says: 'Use our product and even if your body isn't perfect, our lotion will make you beautiful.'" It would be far more effective--and would express genuine respect for women--to pursue the campaign's goals presenting fully clothed women.
Dove officials responded to one complainant with a statement defending the use of the images as "celebrating women 50+ and widening the definition of beauty to show that real beauty has no age limit."
"The advertising campaign is certainly not about nudity, but rather about honesty. . We didn't want to cover these women or enhance their appearances, because they are beautiful just as they are."

Dove.ca/proage.ca. The print ads are photographed by Annie Leibovitz and will run in womens magazines around the world since this is a global campaign.
Adage says:

Naked women in their 50s and 60s may be fine for Ladies' Home Journal or "Oprah" but apparently not for network TV. And while a ban on Dove's TV spots seems to be exactly what Unilever was looking for, the effort may be hamstrung because the brand didn't get a free ride on YouTube this time...


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