Dove and Ogilvy have released a new print advertisement that mocks the term “alternative facts”, coined by United States President Donald Trump’s Counselor Kellyanne Conway. The ad, printed in two United Kingdom-based newspapers, promotes Dove’s new antiperspirant by describing features such as its ability to “increase your IQ by 40 points”.
“New Dove antiperspirant can plan your next holiday at a competitive rate,” and “New Dove antiperspirant rhymes with orange”, are some of the fake facts presented in the two-page ad, which includes hashtag #AlternativeFacts above the list. It concludes saying, “New Dove antiperspirant cares for your underarm skin like never before” above another hashtag, #RealFacts.
While the ad itself makes no mention of Trump or Conway, it is being interpreted as a mockery of the new US administration’s defence of falsehoods. Conway first used the term while defending White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who accused the news media of deliberately understating the size of the crowd at Trump’s inauguration.
Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Chief Creative Officer and Co-Chairman Tham Khai Meng said Dove had immediately accepted the ad once it was presented to its executives. “Brands live in a world of accountability,” Meng said. “To see one respond so swiftly with an #AlternativeFact moment, done gently and with a smile, reminds us of that.”
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