What's Your Story?

I see these billboards, in the parking lot on the southwest corner of the intersection of Bloor and Church streets, on my walk home from yoga. 

I wondered where Dove got its numbers. 

It turns out these figures are based on research Dove (parent corporation: Unilever) did with IPSOS Reid, which concludes that six in ten girls have quit sports because of how they have felt about their looks. Dove research also "suggests" that "when girls quit or avoid sports because of their body image, they could be missing out on valuable benefits that can stay with them for a lifetime."

Or they might not. Dove's research also found that girls didn't quit other activities such as school events, music classes or dance classes because of poor body image, but I guess the valuable benefits of singing and dancing don't linger as long as soccer and swimming.

Don't get me wrong. I feel for the poor schlub who had to take the research results and turn them into advertising copy. It's the way I feel when I try to explain to someone what I do for a living, which I'll admit to now is "telling likely stories." 

Policy analysts sift through the enormous amounts of noise (including research) out there and pick out story lines that turn the noise into enough sense that it helps someone else make a decision.

The likely story I'd like to apply to these ads is that a multinational corporation has decided that its products are about high self esteem and will support girls' self-image in order to sell more of these products.

Others tell a different story, because, according to their read of the noise, Unilever is part of the low self esteem problem: some of its other products - AXE cologne and a skin-lightening cream it sells in India - send messages that make girls feel bad about themselves.

What to you think?

Have a great week!

Karen