‘Real Beauty’ isn’t this toxic: Greenpeace slams Dove’s plastic packaging

New Delhi: Twenty years after launching its 'Real Beauty' campaign, Dove is facing criticism from Greenpeace, accusing the brand of contradicting its message of empowering women and protecting the planet. 

Greenpeace claims Dove’s reliance on plastic packaging harms the environment, which in turn negatively impacts women and girls globally. 

In response, Greenpeace released a video echoing Dove’s 2021 'Toxic Influence' campaign, which originally addressed the harmful beauty standards perpetuated on social media. 

However, Greenpeace’s version highlights the environmental damage caused by plastic waste. Directed by Bafta-nominated filmmaker Alice Russell, the video features mothers and daughters discussing Dove’s marketing, only to be confronted with facts about plastic pollution. 

This critique is a direct jab at Dove’s attempt to position itself as a force for good.

Greenpeace’s video is part of a broader effort, including last year’s 'Real Harm' campaign. Activists staged protests outside Unilever’s London headquarters, placing emphasis on Dove’s contribution to global plastic waste. 

Recent demonstrations involved activists locking themselves to barricades designed to look like Dove products and unveiling a banner with the message: “Real Beauty isn’t this toxic.”

According to media reports, Unilever is one of the world’s largest plastic polluters, producing 1,700 pieces of single-use plastic every second. 

The new Greenpeace film, produced in-house, was crafted to closely mirror Dove’s ads, replicating the lighting, music, and setting. 

The goal was to peel back Dove’s glossy marketing to reveal the environmental consequences of its plastic usage. Greenpeace invested £80,000 in production and an additional £54,000 in promotion across platforms like YouTube, Meta, TikTok, and LinkedIn, with plans to collaborate with influencers to amplify the message.

Greenpeace aims to pressure Unilever into phasing out single-use plastic, starting with sachets, and transitioning to reusable packaging within the next decade. The activist group is also urging Unilever to advocate for stronger commitments at the upcoming UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in November.