Marking two decades of its iconic Real Beauty campaign, Dove has reaffirmed its dedication to authenticity and transparency by pledging to never use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to represent real people in its advertising.
Since its inception in 2004, Dove has been at the forefront of promoting a positive and inclusive definition of beauty. However, despite progress, a recent study conducted by Dove reveals that the state of beauty in 2024 remains challenging. The societal emphasis on appearance has led to heightened pressure to conform to narrow beauty standards.
The 2024 The Real State of Beauty report by Dove uncovers alarming statistics, indicating that over one-third of women in the US are willing to sacrifice a year of their lives to attain an ideal appearance. While beauty ideals have evolved to be more inclusive, the study highlights the growing checklist of appearance expectations, making it increasingly difficult for individuals to meet societal standards.
Furthermore, the rise of AI poses a significant threat to the representation of real beauty. With an anticipated 90% of online content expected to be AI-generated by 2025, Dove recognizes the harmful impact of digitally altered images on women’s self-esteem. The pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by AI-generated content has led to heightened anxiety among women and girls.
Dr. Phillippa Diedrichs, a Research Psychologist at the Centre of Appearance Research, emphasized the importance of representation in combating unrealistic beauty standards. “Despite 20 years of work to broaden definitions of beauty, women feel less confident in their own beauty than they did a decade ago. Representation is more important than ever. As AI technology continues to evolve, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between what is real beauty and what is manufactured by AI.”
In response to these challenges, Dove pledged to uphold authenticity by becoming the first beauty brand to commit to never using AI to depict real people in its advertising.
Alessandro Manfredi, Chief Marketing Officer at Dove, underscored the brand’s commitment to empowering women to define real beauty on their terms, free from digital manipulation. “At Dove, we seek a future in which women get to decide and declare what real beauty looks like – not algorithms. As we navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with new and emerging technology, we remain committed to protect, celebrate, and champion Real Beauty. Pledging to never use AI in our communications is just one step. We will not stop until beauty is a source of happiness, not anxiety, for every woman and girl.”
Dove’s latest campaign, The Code, created by Brazilian independent agency Soko, sheds light on the impact of AI on beauty and advocates for women’s empowerment in defining real beauty in emerging media platforms.
The film was produced by Saigon and directed by Juliana Curi in partnership with The Mill, Diprod, Big Sync Music and HEFTY, the film showcases 100% actual results from AI tools using the prompts shown, all embodied in the classical Pure Imagination song performed exclusively for the campaign by rising singer Victoria Canal. Watch below:
REELated:
“We are honored to lead the global campaign creative marking the 20 years of Dove advocating for Real Beauty. The prevailing trend within AI-generated imagery showcases a homogenized beauty standard—mainly featuring blonde hair and depicting white, tanned skin—mirroring societal biases. When Soko tested prompts for women’s imagery adding ‘according to Dove real beauty campaign’ we realized the results were dramatically more diverse, inclusive and real. That’s a code Dove embedded on AI forever because of 20 years of campaigns for real real beauty. Dove changes AI, because the brand has been actually changing beauty,” says Brisa Vicente, Partner and co-CEO of Soko.
As Dove commemorates 20 years of championing real beauty, the brand remains steadfast in its mission to challenge beauty stereotypes and promote inclusivity. With a renewed commitment to transparency and authenticity, Dove invites individuals to join the journey in reshaping societal perceptions of beauty.
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