Dove is known
for its powerful, inspiring ad campaigns, and can be credited as one of the
first major companies to shift the conversation and spotlight onto real
women. The result? Videos that are viral sensations and strike a serious emotional chord with
audiences. This latest endeavor might be the iconic beauty brand's most moving effort yet.
For its Choose Beautiful campaign, Dove
highlighted five cities across the globe — San Francisco, Shanghai,
Delhi, London, and Sao Paulo. Women in local shopping areas were filmed as they walked up to one of two doors; each entrance was marked with a bold sign reading "average" or "beautiful." The camera followed the
women as they entered through their chosen door, where they were asked to explain their thought process, and to define the term "beautiful."
Refinery29 was lucky
enough to be on set as Dove filmed at Stonestown Galleria in S.F. Not only was it interesting to see how many women
strolled through the "average" doors, it was fascinating to hear them reveal what made them feel so self-conscious about the decision. "Am I choosing because of what's constantly bombarded at me — what I'm being told that I should accept?" a local woman explains in the clip. "Or, am I choosing because that's what I really believe?"