Dove Vs. Axe: Is Unilever Hypocritical?
LatestAdWeek reports that advocacy group Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood started a letter-writing campaign to Unilever, blasting the “hypocrisy” in running Dove ad campaigns which promote healthy self-images for women while also funding sexist and degrading Axe body spray ads. Josh Golin, associate director of the CCFC, says, “Dove [is] positioning itself as a brand that cares and is trying to teach girls to resist this messaging. At the same time Unilever, in the form of Axe, is putting out some of the worst messaging there is.” Over on AdRants, writer Angela Natividad writes that the seemingly conflicting campaigns just come from brands that know their demographic. She argues,