I am loving this new Dove commercial that asks, "when did you stop thinking you were beautiful?" The ad spot by Ogilvy & Mather pairs clips of women pushing the camera away with footage of little girls confidently parading for the camera. The spot closes with the words "Be Your Beautiful Self."
We were a little tough on Dove for the last commercial offering -- our columnist thought the police sketch advert was contrived. But I usually adore the Dove ad folks for their fresh take on beauty product marketing. I especially like the diversity of their models and the way the commercials and print ads highlight the beauty of all women, not the flaws that allegedly need to be "fixed."
This "Camera Shy" commercial takes aim at our confidence and our penchant for self-censorship. Despite living in a world where nearly every moment is documented on a camera phone, women rarely see ourselves in front of the lens.
Often, we're absent because we're the ones weilding the camera, but I wonder if that's a concious choice. We can be so critical of how we appear in photographs, it's sometimes easier to hide behind the lens. The downside is that there's no record of us and who we were.
I love looking at old photos of my mother and grandmothers. I don't see the post-baby tummy roll, fly-away hair, thick ankles or any of the silly things these gorgeous women may have been worrying about as they posed for a snapshot. Instead I see their amazing fashion sense, beautiful faces, and our family history. Those photos tell me about who they were, and who I might become. I see myself, my siblings and my daughters in those photos, and wonder what my own kids will see when they look at old photos of me. If there are photos of me.
If we don't jump into the frame, noone will ever know. So get out there. Get in the picture. Right there in the front row. Yes, even the duck-face selfies. Put your beautiful face forward. In 5, 10, or 50 years, you'll have a record of how gorgeous you've been all your life.
Dove - Camera Shy from Finish on Vimeo.
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