When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you focus on your natural beauty or your flaws? Almost everyone in today's society can think of at least one feature they want to change about themselves, whether it's their facial structure, losing weight, or even changing their color of his hair. Indeed, every day the world is covered with advertisements on television, in magazines or on billboards featuring impeccable men, women and children. From there, society is expected to adhere to this unrealistic standard of beauty: being tall, thin, and young, with long, ideally blonde hair, a flawless complexion, and symmetrical facial features. In 2002, Unilever, the large company behind Dove, recognized the unrealistic standards set by the company and fought back by launching Dove's "Real Beauty Campaign," one of several social missions launched by the company. The main message of the campaign is that women see beauty in their imperfections, celebrate the natural beauty and variation they embody, and inspire people to become confident and feel good about themselves (Dove). The campaign ultimately increased both the self-esteem of women around the world, as well as Dove's (Dove) revenue. While the campaign sends an important message, this triumph is negated by the underlying hypocrisy of the entire video and company. This video is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=litXW91UauE. Advertising is essentially a social experience. The participants, who were unaware of the experiment, arrived in an unfamiliar building where they were asked to meet a stranger. Amidst light melancholic music in the background, the women describe their appearances and express how much they wish they were like people they had never seen...... middle of paper . .....their message and following their beliefs of "real beauty". Without further research or analysis, the ad actually inspires girls to appreciate their beauty over their flaws (this ad even opened my eyes after the first time I watched it). After recognizing the major hypocrisy and the 20% increase in sales in 2005, the year after the campaign launched, the real winner here is Dove, rather than Women (Joni). Works Cited Carey, John litXW91UauEDove. 2009. Unilever. February 21, 2009. http://www.Dove.comJoni, S. 2011. Beware of hidden marketing pitfalls. In Forbes. Retrieved Monday, February 24, 2014 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2011/10/20/beware-the-hidden-traps-in-cause-marketing/