Dove believes that social media algorithms are offering a limited version of beauty, one that is perfect, polished and identical. A single ideal that leaves out diverse shapes, colors and textures, resulting in the same face over and over again. An idea that has been captured in “The Beauty Machine”, a street marketing action with which it has invited society to reflect on the value of difference and the multiple forms that beauty can take.
This is an installation executed on March 31 at Waterloo station, one of the busiest points in London and which, following the trend of social networks, appears to offer variety, but shows the same unreal face repeatedly. The creative concept, devised by Ogilvy New York, has taken the form of a vending machine that instead of offering snacks and drinks, stores a dozen identical faces.
As the brand explains, it has worked with experts to create this set of hyper-realistic masks with the intention of making visible that “unique face of beauty” towards which algorithms push users and which is giving rise to a culture of uniformity that compromises individuality and real beauty that Dove has been championing for years.
“‘The Beauty Machine’ is an installation that seems to offer variety, but keeps offering the same unrealistic ideal over and over again. An image of how algorithms flatten individuality into an unrealistic ideal of beauty“commented Marcela Melero, Chief Growth Marketing Officer at Dove, through LinkedIn. “Underneath all this is a simple question: ‘why do algorithms decide what is beautiful?’ to remind us that beauty in the real world is much more unique, creative and expressive than what we usually see on the internet“.
The objective of the activation is to encourage society to reflect on the ideal of beauty that is being built as a result of the impact of algorithms. One that is already affecting the way users, especially women, perceive themselves. And according to the brand’s data, 9 out of 10 women feel pressured to change their appearance even if they know that an image is false; and 2 out of 5 would give a year of their life to achieve their ideal of beauty.
Dove has collected some of these impressions in several pieces that it has shared on social networks and with which it has amplified the media impact of “The Beauty Machine.” Passersby who have come across the installation have shared with the brand what they consider beauty and the way it is changing.
The action is part of a broader campaign with which Dove tries to promote spaces for difference, not to prescribe a “correct” way of looking. “We are not here to judge or tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t do. Dove believes that women should define beauty on their own terms and celebrates the differences between us that make us beautiful,” it says on its website.
That is why she has launched “Open Call”, a call to women to celebrate their uniqueness and remind the world that there is no single type of beauty. Thus, it encourages them to share their stories, in videos and images, through social networks, and thereby try to influence the algorithms and inspire other women to discover that their beauty can be a source of happiness, joy and self-expression.
Dove has collaborated with influencers and content creators to amplify the reach of the appeal.
Those who wish can also share their image through a website created specifically for the occasion. By doing so, they agree that it may be used in Dove marketing communications, such as advertisements, social media content and promotional materials, with the goal, the brand explains, of highlighting authentic beauty and individual self-expression.
