Dove bodywash

Tegan2 and I am laughing in disbelief (haven't seen the advert)!

I was thinking along the same lines as MissAdventure - Dove seems to use 'Real People' in its adverts, not 'perfect' models.

If companies use 'perfect' models to advertise their products are they trying to tell us (subliminally or overtly) that we will become perfect if we use their product?

Are Dove 'trading on a physical defect' to promote their product? I'm not sure that they needed to state that fact but perhaps the model is thinking along the lines of equal opportunities for all and is encouraging other young people to realise that they should not be held back by disability.

I'd hate to be in advertising these days as it's so easy to upset so many groups of people that advertisers seem to include as many as possible. I'm currently bemused by the KFC advert that shows a chicken dancing around. Now, I don't eat a lot of meat but am not a vegetarian and I've never had a KFC; neither has the S.O. So for quite a while we've planned to have a KFC; it would probably be a one off. However, seeing this chicken dancing around has completely ruled out any chance of me having one.

Dove seem to have been the first to show older people, larger people, etc on their ads (which apparently increased their sales by a huge amount)
So, using a disabled person seems to be a natural progression for them.

Yes I think the principle is wrong. It is specifically using the fact she is disabled to play on the pity of some members of the public.

"That brave blind girl making this TV appearance." "I will buy some to help her ".
But they chose a particularly attractive young woman. They would not choose some one who was very physically disabled and looked it.

I don't think the girl is being exploited but some of the public are. The girl is probably adding her fees to her college fund.

I had a colleague years ago who had early sight loss he was not anyone to be pitied. He was very mobile with his white cane and very adventurous, he used to hate the "poor brave blind man, "Does he take sugar" syndrome.

Ana. EXACTLY

Oh, for goodness sake Petra, I'm not saying I want to take away the girls living!!! She's a pretty girl who could have been used in the advert without drawing attention to her disability. We all knows it's soft and smells nice etc etc

I just don't think any disability (physical or mental) should be used by a company to promote how wonderful their products are. A friend who is partially sighted said it made her 'uncomfortable' and was a step too far. And I agree.

I understand what you're trying to say Fairydoll but I think that as she's an adult, and as long as she's benefitting from it, all power to her.

I agree petra also one could say models were trading on their perceived physical attributes.

Oh the irony of your post fairydoll
In one breath your rooting for the disabled, and then you want to take away the means of the woman to earn decent money. The sad part is, you'll never see or understand how bizarre your thinking is.

I'm not saying that people with a disability should be discriminated against (i.e used in adverts etc). My point is this - Dove are trading on the girls disability to promote a product, and in my opinion that's not right. I just don't agree with it. I realise I am in the minority (although a couple of friends agree with me, in fact it was one who brought it to my attention).

I will not persist, however!

My son is disabled and would love the opportunity to earn shed loads of money from it. Surely, we all want equal opportunities so why not for a beautiful blind girl.

I can't see anything wrong with it - why not? I don't think they were trading on any physical defect. The fact she was unable to see the product actually gave me a different perspective in that she was more attuned to the feel of the bodywash and the effect on her skin. Are we only to see "perfect" people on our advertisements. Surely that would be very discriminatory.

Well, to be fair she does look pretty perfect - no one would be able to tell from the ad that she was blind. Why bother to even mention it?

Why not?- should advertisers only use people who are perfect physical specimens? ( they do this most of the time)

Of course she did! It's just the principle I object to -
using a disability to promote a product.

She was blind from 14 and I am quite sure she knew what she was doing.