Dove beauty campaign criticized in Japan for reinforcing impossible ideals such as ‘thigh gaps’ & ‘protruding eyes’
Dove’s latest campaign in Japan, aimed at dismantling rigid beauty standards, has sparked controversy instead of empowering women.
Launched as part of Dove’s Self-Esteem Project, the “No more kawaii standards” initiative sought to challenge harmful beauty ideals and boost self-confidence among young women.
However, the campaign has drawn significant backlash from the public for its execution.
渋谷駅にて駅貼り広告掲出開始！
ピックアップしているのは、SNSで広まる私たちに必要ない美の基準。
こういった言葉は女の子たちひとりひとりの可愛さや自信を奪う原因にもなっています。ぜひ #カワイイに正解なんてない をつけてリポストをお願いします！
ひとりひとりの声で美の基準にNOを！ pic.twitter.com/qDjZrwVY2u— ダヴ Dove (@Dove_JP) October 7, 2024
The campaign involved a series of advertisements placed in high-traffic areas, such as Shibuya Station in Tokyo, encouraging people to reject socially imposed beauty standards.
While the intent was to raise awareness of the pressures women face regarding their appearance, SoraNews reported that many people expressed concern that by explicitly naming these beauty ideals, Dove inadvertently highlighted them .
Listed out standards such as having a short philtrum & protruding eyes
The ads pointed out several beauty standards that women, particularly in Japan, are often expected to conform to.
By displaying these ideals prominently, some critics argue that Dove has brought attention to aspects of appearance that many individuals may not have been previously conscious of, thus exacerbating anxieties rather than alleviating them.
Here are some of the standards mentioned in the ad:
- Spec 110 : A formula that subtracts one’s weight from height to determine if one is thin enough.
- Short philtrum : The idea that the length of the groove between the nose and upper lip affects cuteness.
- 4-cm space between eyes : A criterion for judging whether someone’s eyes are far apart.
- E line : A straight line connecting the nose and chin, considered a beauty standard for profile views.
- Thigh gap : The gap between the thighs is viewed as a standard for beautiful legs.
- No buccal corridor : The absence of shadows between the corners of the mouth and teeth when smiling, considered a hallmark of a good smile.
- 6-cm mid-face size : A criterion for determining if one’s face is small, based on the distance from the eyes to the lips.
- Centrifugal & centripetal face : Terms used to describe facial features that deviate from the golden ratio.
- Protruding eyes : Eyes positioned forward, judged based on how much they protrude.
- 17-cm face size : The belief that a face size of 17 centimeters or less is ideal.
The campaign, although accompanied by the message “There’s no right answer to what’s cute,” received backlash for potentially reinforcing the very beauty standards it sought to dismantle.
Many critics noted that naming specific, measurable criteria for beauty gave those ideals greater visibility.
Source: Dove JP Dove on YouTube
Public reactions ranged from disappointment to concern, with comments pointing out the campaign’s potential to worsen body image issues.
Some suggested that Dove could have approached the topic more delicately, perhaps without assigning numerical values or focusing so heavily on these particular standards.
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Featured image adapted from Dove JP Dove on YouTube .
