Toxic Influencer
Who Created the Message: The message was created by Dove, a brand of skincare items that have been really working on creating a positive self-image for women for the last couple of decades, starting in 2004 with their Self-Esteem Project.
What creative techniques are used to attract my attention? It feels very conversational as you hear someone off-screen talk to the different people on screen. There is a range of ethnicities and ages of women and girls, and it’s referencing an issue that is pretty easily connectable for women who use social media in any way. They also add music to the background that creates a sense of the dramatic effect that keeps me interested in watching.
What viewpoints of world views are included or left out of this message? There is a strong emphasis on young female voices and moms. It seems that these girls have strong and open relationships with their moms, so girls who do not identify this way, have lost a mom, or are being raised without their moms aren’t recognized. There are also no male figures in the message either, even though a dad could be raising a daughter, or a boy could also be struggling with media influence.
What is the global/historical focus of this artifact? I think the historical focus on this is the impact that social media has had on the mental well-being of youth since its popularity rose over the last decades. Women have been under an extreme microscope and I think this is bringing awareness to that.
How is the subject of race addressed in this artifact? I think there is an attempt to be racially inclusive, but there is only one Black girl in the commercial, so although race is not directly addressed, it’s also not entirely accurately represented either, nor is it addressed how different ethnicities witness different pressures when it comes to social media presence and influence.
Why is this message being sent? The message is being sent for two reasons: one, the company looks tremendous in supporting women and it makes people want to use their products more because they feel like they’re supporting a good cause; two, Dove is working on helping women and girls not use media as a form of self-esteem and to embrace who they are naturally and share this message.