The nationwide survey of women aged between 15-72 years old, carried out by the female marketing specialists Proficiency Group, found that modern advertising slogans such as "Real women have real curves" and "real life Mum in a million" are "irritating" and are turning women off from purchasing the items.
However, the findings contradict reports that sales of Dove firming products are soaring following its "real women" ad campaign, created by Ogilvy & Mather. In the first half of 2004 sales of Dove firming products were up by 700%.
The Dove ad campaign caused a storm in the tabloids for featuring six curvy women instead of the stereotypical skinny models who usually appear in beauty advertising.
Surprisingly from the new research, although 67% of women from all age groups felt they had a physical connection with women in the Dove ads, only 35% said they would be willing to buy the product, with many preferring to see toned models that have benefited from the cream.
Overwhelmingly, 83% of respondents were irritated by seeing Sharon Osbourne in the Asda campaign created by Publicis and said they would not consider shopping in Asda.
The national media also questioned the irony of Osbourne being suited for the job, considering her multimillion-dollar lifestyle and Asda's reputation for low-priced goods.
Peter Frost, CEO of the Proficiency Group, said: "The whole meaning of celebrity has been diluted in the past few years. Women need to feel a connection with the celebrity and the brand being promoted."
Pretty young models endorsing tampon and sanitary ads while performing yoga poses in their leotards are disliked by many, according to Proficiency, with women saying they do not feel that these "energetic" poses truly represent them.
Ads featuring Kate Moss with her bambi fake eyelashes for Rimmel have been shown as a turn-off for many, with women saying that by the age of 30 they have established the brands they prefer to buy and are tired of being bombarded with ads featuring sexy models.
Other turn-offs in ads targeting women are "shock value" tactics, such as the Cornetto ad with a women sticking her long pink tongue out to advertise "now with strawberry all the way down". Many respondents complained that the ad was vile, disgusting and inappropriate.
Emma Laney, who runs McCann Pulse, said: "Today's female consumers simply do not consume what is served up to them on a plate. They play with it, think about it, toy with it, and if they still like it, then they digest it.
"Women like to impose their own ideas and personality on the communication that they receive from ads, discuss and disseminate."
Proficiency Group is behind the Rethink Pink 2005 marketing to women conference, which takes place on November 10 at the Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch, London.
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