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8/1/08
Real Women Not as Good as Skinny Women in Ads By George Anderson
The move by marketers to use "real" looking women has brought them positive publicity and, along with it, sales. A new study by professors at the College of New Jersey and Villanova University, however, suggests that these very same companies might have actually done better if they did away with using everyday women as models and just stuck with, well, real models. Jeremy Kees, a business professor at Villanova, told AdAge.com, "The really interesting result we're seeing across multiple studies is that these thin models make women feel bad, but they like it. They have higher evaluation of the brands. With the more regular-size models, they don't feel bad. Their body image doesn't change. But in terms of evaluations of the brands, those are actually lower." The exception to the above rule is in snack advertising (women prefer to see real women eating cookies than waiflike creatures) where women were four-times more likely to turn down an Oreo after seeing an ad with a thin model than one who was normal size. While the research made a case for skinny models, it did not involve assessing ads in the marketplace that feature regular-sized women. Unilever's Dove brand, with its "Real Beauty" campaign, has no reservations about the effectiveness of its advertising. A company spokesperson said in a statement, "We believe women have the right to feel comfortable with their bodies and not suffer from lack of self-esteem brought on by images of excessive slimness... We are thrilled by the overwhelming positive responses we have received from women (and men) as a result of the campaign." The spokesperson added, "There is no question that women and young girls are being bombarded with unrealistic messages and images of beauty that impact their self-esteem. We are excited to
Villanova School of Business 2008 Media Report