The Inkstained Mind: How advertising (too) can be beautiful

23 Apr 2013

How advertising (too) can be beautiful

You'll remember the Dove 'Evolution' TVC. At the time it had impressed me as a sort of 'Anti-advertising Ad'. Well, at the very least it was a singularly bold move by a cosmetics brand. Especially since most multinational brands had been, for some time, content with tip-toeing cautiously around "safe" ideas.

Dove has now gone ahead and done something truly, incredibly brilliant! In all honesty, the 6-odd-minute spot below has revived my somewhat flagging hope of seeing intelligent advertising based on real insights and the ever-elusive "human truths".

I love it more because it is consistent with Dove's concept of shining the light on unattainable standards of beauty (projected by conventional advertising). But here, the concept has somehow been lifted-up and turned inward... A powerful beam of light is shone not just at the faux advertising-inspired misconceptions of beauty - but also at a woman's own perception of her looks.

And it is simply beautiful.

I do wish we'll see a lot more use of simple "human truths" in advertising.

(In fact it's about time we do something similar for RealFood as opposed to the toxin-laced, sugar/salt/slime/chemical-laden junk in colourful plastic packets meant to attract little children - that passes for "food" on supermarket shelves.)

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WHAT IS ADVERTISING?

It's often called the world's second oldest profession.

But while the scope of the oldest one has changed little over time, the evolution in the way we communicate has had profound impact on Advertising.

In the ancient and medieval world, Advertising meant word-of-mouth. In the 1500s with the development of printing it became a 'paid public notice', disseminating the message to many. And it had Copy & Art.

Then came radio, TV, computer, cable TV, Internet, mobile phones, Internet on mobile, and it's still not done... Even what we perceive as 'change' is changing. Continuously.

So what is Advertising today?

Honestly, I don't know.

But I do know from a dozen years evolving with the business, that Advertising is most valued when it can make a tangible difference for the advertiser.

That has not changed. And probably won't.

UPDATE: Nothing's changed. But in a way, everything has.

As you see, my focus has shifted - evolved in a way - to a larger canvas. The shift or evolution was gradual, and may be have been discernable to the more observant reader.

While I was delving into the influence of media in society to better understand how perceptions are created, evolved and disseminated, I chanced upon a thread of knowledge that I frankly never knew existed.

My conclusion is that a deep pool of awareness and consciouness exists beyond the shallow narcissistic boundaries created by the convention view of social media and the Internet.

My aim is to send my readers down any path that can lead to this quenching pool.