Progressive and Inspirational Advertisements From Over the Years

The media holds a large influence over our culture and society. Not only does it provide entertainment and advertisement, but it also acts as a reflection of our values, beliefs, and self-understanding.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

The media holds a large influence over our culture and society. Not only does it provide entertainment and advertisement, but it also acts as a reflection of our values, beliefs, and self-understanding. Television ads, in particular, are still one of these highly influential mediums. While it may appear that these commercials only relate to selling products, they also play a key part in depicting our social behaviors and roles. Additionally, these depictions are typically ahead of our culture's time, conveying a type of reality that has yet to exist.

That being said, recent years have produced advertisements which have swayed towards pushing social boundaries. Company brands such as Dove have gone above and beyond in using little screen time to call attention to themes centered on gender, body image, and sexuality. As a result, the materials presented are able to expand the way we view ourselves, our communities, and in turn, the world around us.

Here is a compilation of some of the most progressive and attention-grabbing advertisements from over the years:

Dove Men+Care: First Fatherhood Moments

Pantene: A Man's a Boss, a Woman's Bossy

Dove: Care Makes A Man Stronger

Always: #LikeAGirl

Kleenex: Time for a Change

Under Armour: Misty Copeland - I WILL WHAT I WANT

GoldieBlox & Rube Goldberg "Princess Machine"

CoverGirl: #GirlsCan - Women Empowerment

Special K: Shhhhut Down Fat Talk

Dove: Choose Beautiful

Chobani: Simply 100 Commercial Love This Life

Dove: Evolution

Dove: Real Beauty Sketches

Dove: Legacy

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot