Strong message, strong role models

When Dove asked me what a strong role model looks like, my interest was piqued – as a mom and a marketer.  Dove’s new strong role model campaign is focused on why girls suffer such devastating self-esteem issues as they travel through their teen years and what we can do to mitigate the loss.

I’ve worked with Dove in the past (Singing in the Rain and Real Beauty, Real Smart) and I was eager to see their growth as a brand – and to expose my teenage daughter to their messages. As a mom, the messaging makes my heart swell – we are all good enough the way we are. But I also wanted to see it through a 15 year old lens.

Dove Canada invited Grace and I to Toronto for an evening with four women who should be famous based on what they’ve given back to our world, not their flawless skin or ability to fit into a size zero dress – strong role models. Mandy Moore shared the women’s stories, introduced each of them and then a panel discussion with young girls from the audience asking questions followed.

Read more on this post below Grace’s video …

Before and after the main presentations, guests were invited to visit partner booths, which offered information on issues young girls face – dieting, self-esteem etc. Non-alcoholic beverages and kid-friendly snacks were served. We were not given free product or paid to attend. In the interest of full disclosure, Dove arranged our accommodations in Toronto and an intimate meet and greet back stage with Mandy Moore and a few other moms.

As a mom, I watched my daughter closely. This is the Women Who Should be Famous event in Grace’s words:

What are some of the messages you felt were directed to you as a teenager?

That it’s ok to have pimples and have more weight than some of the other girls around us. Imperfect is the best. No one is perfect. That you can do anything…

Where does Dove go next?

If Dove wants more teenage girls involved with Dove, then they need more ads directed towards our age group. Have ads about depression and suicide and eating disorders and insomnia and anxiety and things like that. Not that everyone’s beautiful and after a while, when people keep saying that, it starts to mean nothing.

There aren’t near enough stories about girls overcoming things like that. I only found one girl older than 15 in the book handed out, “One GIRL CAN.”

Dove needs pictures of teens. Not young girls. That’s the only way to get us; by making us feel like it’s to us, not younger girls.

Dove needs less pictures of perfect girls.

What’s the next level for Dove to reach you as a teen?

The next level for us would be finding more things that we like about ourselves. Instead of saying we’re soooo gorgeous or soooooo beautiful, find something special about them, something unique that makes them so amazing. Say something like, “OK, maybe you’re not absolutely perfect, but look here, you have this, ______” and go on to say why that’s what matters.

Help us pursue our dreams. Make us feel like we matter.

Mandy Moore is a model, a singer and an actress. If you’re going to get someone like her to come in, get her to tell us what she goes through every model shoot, every video recording. Every picture. So then we could see that it does actually happen. That life is harsh, but if you want to be famous you have to maybe do some things you don’t want to do.

She could be so many more girls’ role models if you just let her talk about her life and what she goes through. Because it can’t be easy. Get some one-on-one sessions.

Why do you think Dove didn’t give away free products?

That surprised me. I get it if they were trying to get the point out that we’re beautiful and don’t need products to prove it, but if that was the point they were trying to prove, they should have said something about it, made it a huge thing. They should have at least made it LOOK like they were trying to say something along the lines of, “You’re beautiful, you don’t need products to make it more so.”

Where do you think girls find role models now?

Girls my age tend to look to famous actors, singers, songwriters, artists, what a girl wants to do, she usually finds a role model that does that. We look to ads that most likely are not how the women actually look. Say if I wanted to be a skater, I’d look up to famous skaters, or if I wanted to be a singer, I’d look to a famous singer.

What did you think about Mandy Moore?

When I first saw her I thought, stunning, beautiful. When she talked I thought, inspirational, sweet. When I got the personal session I thought, wow, Mandy Moore is really a great woman, she cares what others think and gives great advice. I only wish I could have had more of a conversation with her.

She seems to be a great role model.

Whether Dove’s newest campaign is a success with teenagers or not, remains to be seen. As for this mom, I’m happy to see Dove engaging young women in conversations that matter. And I’m happy my daughter sees that there’s so much more to life than her dress size.

To comply with the long list of regulating bodies including the FTC and possibly even the Geneva Conventions and in the interest of transparency, compensation for this is sponsored post was provided by Dove Canada. Commentary and perspectives are those of Julia Rosien, Chief Idea Officer for SocialNorth.

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