Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign in India: Localizing a Global Purpose Brand

Abstract

The Dove Real Beauty campaign is widely regarded as a landmark in purpose-driven marketing. Globally, it sought to challenge narrow beauty ideals and position Dove as an authentic advocate of inclusivity. This paper examines how the campaign was adapted in India, where cultural pressures around fairness, thinness, and marriageability create a unique context for beauty advertising. Using both original research (interviews, panels, creative exercises) and third-party sources (academic journals, industry trade press, and media coverage), this study investigates how Indian youth interpret the campaign, whether they view Dove as authentic, and why the campaign resonated emotionally but struggled to drive purchase intent. The findings reveal generational differences in reception, highlight tensions between empowerment and commercialism, and suggest that the credibility of purpose-driven campaigns depends on aligning brand messaging with broader corporate practices.