This video is targeted to women of all ages, and through the sheer nature of the videos’ focus – how women see themselves – many women would find reason to emotionally connect with the video. Many women deal with self-esteem and body positivity issues, in addition to the consistent pressure to measure up to a standard of beauty, that for many, is unachievable. The video and its message aligns well with Dove’s campaign for real beauty, and the idea that everyone, every woman, is beautiful.
By blending soft, melodic piano music that’s reminiscent of a lullaby, cutting between close-up shots of people speaking and images of a man sketching what the audience hears and sees various people describing, the video immediately captures the attention of the viewer. They are drawn into an experience and narrative that somehow feels sad, yet hopeful at the same time.
Because the topic is one that will resonate with just about every woman on the planet, it’s not surprising to see it become so virally successful. With over 114 million views in less than 30 days and 4 billion PR and blogger impressions, the video resonated well beyond the target audience. Much of this exposure came about as a result of social media attention and engagement. Friends shared the video with friends, they commented on the blogs they saw the video on and continued to share it with their networks. Because of that exponential social sharing, traditional media, PR, and content creators took noticed and engaged as well. All of the additional coverage and sharing helped get the video in front of more than just the initial target audience for the brand, and of course, across the globe.
When I think about this ad as a media communication student, my take aways are first, that great storytelling is great storytelling. Dove did an amazing job of leading the audience through a story that many of them were already familiar with – feeling that the word “beautiful” was not a word anyone would use to describe them – and showed them that they were wrong. By watching the journeys of several women discover their beauty, the audience instantly connects with these women, and almost instinctively goes on the journey themselves at the same time. Secondly, I walk away with the understanding that an ad campaign doesn’t have to be loud and flashy, have uptempo music or celebrity cameos to be successful.