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.
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 .
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:
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.
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 .
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