As stated, (Theaker, 2016, p.
04) “that changing attitudes and behaviors is often at the heart of
what PR practitioners do”, it can be believed that a lot of it depends on the art or the science of
persuasion. This sounds like a modern concept but persuasion has its origins in Ancient Greece
and the work of Aristotle (Theaker, 2016, p. 38). Public Relations and Aristotle’s rhetoric theory
share connections, particularly in the realm of persuasive communication and strategic
communication. Aristotle’s The Art of Rhetoric is often presented as being the first formal attempt
to define to the science of persuasion. Aristotle's rhetoric theory, articulated in his work
"Rhetoric," provides a timeless framework for understanding and implementing effective
communication strategies. He observed three major kinds of proof: Logos, pathos, and ethos
(Heath, 2009).
Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign (2004) serves as a captivating study of the intersection between
rhetoric and public relations. As known, ethos pertains to credibility, pathos to emotional appeal,
and logos to logical reasoning. In the context of Dove's campaign, this framework provides a
foundation for examining how public relations strategically employed these appeals to redefine
beauty standards and enhance the brand's reputation.
Unilever, the parent company for dove beauty products commissioned an international study on
women’s attitude towards beauty. They found an opportunity to change the idealized portrayals of
women in traditional marketing. Here, rhetoric enters the human experience because people have
different views, different opinions, and prefer different actions. To the extent that collective and
coordinated behavior is useful and even necessary, difference needs to be reconciled (Heath, et. al,
2009, p. 22), and “Real Beauty” campaign did not only successfully sell beauty products but it
also sparked an international about women and beauty.
Ethos: Establishing Credibility through Authenticity:
The "Real Beauty" campaign, rooted in ethos, strategically established credibility by making ads
featuring ordinary women, rather than supermodels that didn’t set unrealistic beauty standards
targeted to women of all age, so that they could see ‘themselves’ in the media and advertising, and
relate to it. The campaign also partnered with Girl Scouts and similar organizations to involve
girls and discussions (D. Smith, 2017, p. 30). “We vowed to always use real women, never
models, in our advertising and our content and promised to never digitally distort any images.”
(Forbes, 2021)
Pathos: Eliciting Emotional Resonance for Social Change:
The emotional appeal in Dove’s campaign is a cornerstone of its success. By leveraging
emotionally charged narratives like “Real beauty Sketches” that resonate with societal pressures
and personal insecurities related to beauty, Dove tapped into a shared emotional experience that
touched 60 million young people. This campaign touched psychologists, teachers, parents, media
analysts, and real women with curves. “…to ensure that we can foster a positive relationship with
beauty in the next generation; and help shatter beauty stereotypes.” (Forbes, 2021).
Logos: Logical Narratives for Cultural Shifts:
Dove used this campaign to present a cogent argument for redefining beauty standards by logical
reasoning. Through expert opinions, statistical data, and relatable storytelling, public relations
construct a logical narrative that challenges the prevailing notions of beauty that has been existing
for ages globally. Dove, being a part of Unilever, is also connected to sustainability strategies for
being people positive. “Unilever’s mission in beauty and personal care is to be People and Planet
Positive.” (Forbes, 2021).
Dove not only appealed to women all over the world by introducing the Real Beauty campaign,
but the sales of dove soap rose by two-thirds, and the campaign earned 4.6 billion impressions on
blogger media. As per Gaines and Gronbeck, (2008, p. 4382) “The rhetorical impulse maybe
conceived as the desire to express one’s thoughts in a way that affects the thoughts of others”,
exactly how Unilever caught public interest through their approach.
Word Count: 720 (683).
Citations: 37.
