TOW #15: Visual - Evolution by Dove

The depiction of beauty is becoming distorted due to false presentations of the version of a beautiful woman. An advertising campaign was released by Unilever in 2006, for the Dove Self-Esteem Project, called Evolution. In a little over a minute, the commercial illustrates how media is affecting the perception of beauty. With its many awards and nominations, the advertisement has received critical acclaim for its representation of the cold, hard truth about the world; the mentality about beauty is horrifically distorted and gaining this type of beauty is impossible and unattainable. Evolution shows the process of Photoshop and the comparison of before and after to prove how society's expectations of beauty are unreal and artificial.

Throughout the entire video, the photo of the model is seen receiving touch-ups, enhancement, and slimming to create an almost unrecognizable person as the end result. By showing the process of Photoshop being done on the model, one can see that the model herself is not perfect. The Photoshop illustrates how the desired features and the overall perception of a woman's beauty are almost impossible to attain. The model has flaws that are edited, windblown hair that is artificially created, and the perfect bone structure must be produced digitally. As the message of the campaign is to improve the self-esteem of many girls, the commercial reassures its audience that the beauty seen on television and magazines is not real.

In the image below, the comparison of before and after is seen; this depicts the power that Photoshop and makeup has and also how companies change the appearance of their models to appear more aesthetically appealing to the world. The two pictures, placed side by side, augment the artificial beauty that society deems to be desired. As this image is the promotional image of Evolution, it captures the true reason behind the commercial: the beauty that is advertised is superficial and unreal.

By showing the process of Photoshop and exhibiting the before and after phases of the photo shoot, the Dove Self-Esteem Project successfully proves that society's expectations of beauty are not real. As the Dove Self-Esteem Project attempts to help girls overcome anxieties over beauty and self-image, the commercial illustrates that even women, who appear flawless and perfect, have flaws and quirks that makes them unique. The fight against society's perception of beauty continues to rage on, and the awareness being spread by this commercial and the Dove Self-Esteem Project helps girls grow to become confident women who are beautiful in their own ways.

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