Doll marketing photography: Do Companies Confuse or Mislead?

Well, I almost never order dolls with faceups or as full-sets, and those I have (Volks Anais) I was well pleased with. In fact, I find Volks dolls usually look better IRL to me (or in amateur photographs even) than in the Company photographs!!

My fondest wish for bjd marketing is that every sculpt be shown BLANK from multiple views (straight on, 3/4 profile, full profile). Paint, wigs and so forth really alter what you see.

Then again, maybe it's better they don't show them blank, I'd be tempted more often to buy? XD

Raven

 

I think Volks sort of has the opposite problem. I think their dolls typically look better IRL than they do in Volks' photos.
As to other companies, I always keep in mind looking at the photos closely for lighting, etc. They are marketing after all.

 

I've noticed this as well. I've seen a lot of dolls in person that just weren't as spectacular as they look on the websites.. but it also sort of works vice versa, I've seen dolls with TERRIBLE company face ups, that I thought looked ugly on the page.. and are beautiful in person.

Honestly, I think you just have to find a happy medium, but definitely seeing the doll in person or at least looking at owner pictures before you buy I feel is a crutial part of this hobby. You don't want to get stuck with something that you end up hating later.

It's harder with limited dolls because all you have to go buy is the company pictures, but I guess if you really love the mould you have to take the risk and just see what happens! I tend to buy a lot of my dolls secondhand, because I like seeing what things actually look like before I buy them.

 

Most companies definitely do try to show the "best" that a doll can be, through high-quality eyes, wigs, clothes, and a great face-up (yeah, I have no idea what Volks is up to either). I think you could say it's sometimes misleading, especially when they over-expose photos to the point where you can barely see the doll's features -- but then again, when was the last time you went to McDonald's and got a burger that looked like the ones in the commercials?

I've been pretty lucky, so far. My first two dolls were exactly like the photos -- the first was a unique (so I got the exact doll they had photographed) and the second was their "display doll" (again, the exact doll they had photographed). So both looked exactly like the photos, because they were the photographed dolls!

My third I was disappointed in, because the dealer had said it was a "white Goni" but I received a "yellow Goni." She did look exactly like the photographs of the yellow Goni, but I hadn't ordered a yellow Goni! That was the fault of the dealer, however, not of the photographer/company.

However, I have run across a lot of dolls at meets that looked nothing like their photos... Imho, DOD is the biggest offender in that category.

I really think it's the responsibility of the buyer to educate themselves before they buy. Of course, this is difficult with Limiteds or new Molds, but companies tend to run by trends -- if it's a company like DOD where most of their dolls don't look exactly like their photos, you can guess that a new or limited from them won't look exactly like their photo, either. And if it's a company like Luts, where photographs seem pretty accurate, you can guess that photos of a new or limited from them will look pretty much like their photos.

Blank doll heads don't help me at all, really, I have trouble visualizing a face-up on a blank head... But I think it would be helpful if companies could provide those, since obviously many people do like being able to see the bare resin.

 

To question one: No, not really: the photos were very telling on my site, it's what they said that was the problem. The English at times is so bad, I can't even distinguish a word it could possibly be related to (especially in the case of my dolls measurements)

To question two: Yes. When I was buying my doll, the company said if I wanted a face-up, I'd need to go to the make-up page and choose one from the list of colors. so, I did and I was not-so-pleasantly surprised to find that there was only a picture of the default make-up, and that none of the other color-types were represented on the make-up page. So, I looked around the site for days at all the dolls trying to get an example of the face-ups, but all the dolls' make-up were for the particular set they came with; not one of the make-up styles I could choose from. Looking back on it, I could've looked for the face-ups online to see, but by the end of the week I trusted them and was rather enthusiastic about being surprised by my doll's looks. It was a pleasant surprise; she has gorgeous brown eyes instead of blue and her face up is the best I could've hoped for. So though I think it would be an excellent and obviously beneficial move for the company to put pictures of their face-ups on the site.

To question four: no the pictures are usually dead on, I find. It's when the company doesn't have pictures that you should worry.

To Question Five: I'd rather see dolls in all their glamor before i search out their original build, and usually the companies have it, I find. If i had a specific concern, I'm sure that'd come in real handy. And if there are sites out there who don't offer images of the bodies and un-painted heads, then they really should.

 

I'll echo everyone: Consumers should educate themselves first before buying a doll. This applies to any thing one buys.

I feel that companies are not the only people who confuse and mislead others, but several owners do it as well (as well as several faceup artists). For example, there is this particular mold that I saw. I saw lots and lots of him because his owner took lots of photos. Her photos looked better than the official, so I bought the same model as that owner, thinking he'd probably look like hers. He looked more like the official pictures than owners pictures. I was quite disappointed.

For me, my issue is the camera. I feel that companies and owners use different type of cameras with different lens that distorts the actual doll, making them look better/uglier than the actual doll. Whether companies or owners intentionally mislead or confuse others, varies. I think some decieve intentionally while I think other's don't.

So now, I'm wary of both owner pictures and official pictures because they can both be misleading.

Ideally, I'd want to see the doll right before my very eyes cuz that's the only way I'll know for myself whether or not I'll like them, but that's not possible.

I think that both companies and owners will try to show off their dolls because they love them and they want to spread their love (in the company's case, sell them). But it's up to the consumer to make their choice from what they've seen from owners and companies to see where the flaws and consistency lies before they click the order button.

In the case of limited and other new dolls that nobody has pictures of, I think it's up to the consumer's perception skills to determine whether one likes the new/limited dolls or not. In these cases, I'd prefer companies show different angles of the dolls so I could see the depth of the dolls, which is normally lost in photos.

 

well.... the question now is what company of any product sold on planet earth do not try to make it look better in advertising to sell their product? thats the point really.... and what we consumers are supposed to do is see through it to what they are actually selling, and if you actually want to have it or not ...
for example, when you order a doll, you know it wont come with the face-up, so u either pay for it, or receive the doll without it, of course it will not look just like the picture on the web!

For me personally, it is fun to put this much effort in my dolls to make them look the best i want, exactly like i want. and if they come perfectly like the picture (full-sets do), its not as much fun, its all done and thats it. then you have less things to do with it

 

double post >_>

 

I think a few companies have misleading images... Angel of Dream, the dolls in the pictures just don't do them justice because IRL they are really nice dolls. Dream of Doll on the other hand, I just handled a few irl and they do not look *anything* like the beautiful photos on the websites. I'm sure they don't do that to mislead but I'm just wondering why the doll on the picture is beautiful yet the product is not. I dunno.

I doubt they do it on purpose but I've noticed some doll websites have very misleading images. Either positive or negative. They might look great IRL or not. Depends. However, companies will try to make their product look good in order to sell it. That's how business works.

 

As a noob what I would like to see in advertising is clearly labeled photographs. I love seeing all the beautiful photos, but I would also like to have blank heads and default face-ups shown and clearly labeled as such.

The other thing I would like to see is details on the extras - kind of like what you'd see in a fashion magazine... Something like 'this doll is shown with... x face-up, y eyes, z wig, k clothes and j shoes'

 

All I can say is that I'm very glad for the owner pics I find on DoA. There have been several dolls I've considered getting, based on the official website photos, only to change my mind once I've seen 'candid' owner shots of the same dolls.

I don't think the companies mislead on purpose, but they are in the business of selling their wares. They want to showcase the dolls they are offering at their most beautiful, so they find their best side, the best angle, lighting, accessories, etc. We all do the same thing when we have our pictures taken. Are we being purposefully misleading when we do that? I don't think so - we just want to look our best.

I think, with experience, we, as doll collectors, do learn to 'see through' the websites' pictures. I agree that the buyer needs to beware, and educating ourselves is the way to keep disappointment at a minimum. That's where I believe owner pictures come in very handy. They often confirm our worst suspicions when something doesn't sit right with a particular doll.

 

I have been one of the people buying one of a set of elf minis from a certain company, where the faceups were COMPLETELY different; the company ones were very soft and ethereal, and in real life it was stark with DARK pink blush in circles, and BLACK eyeliner, instead of the softer colors on the site.
I've also bought a Vampire Woosoo MNF girl after seeing one in person, and I think she looks way better than in photos. Companies may try to make their dolls look better, but I agree with the sentiment about liking dolls to be shown without a faceup as well as with.

 

1) Do you feel that some companies mislead, exaggerate, or confuse through their use of photos in advertising their dolls?

Absolutely. Some companmies have very accurate photos. Others are extremely misleading. It can be the lighting used or the photographic technique.

2) Have you ever received a doll that you felt was not as shown in its photographs (aside from resin color or obvious defects like breakage)? What feature(s) was/ were misrepresented?

Yes! The face-up in the photo was gorgeous and exactly what I wanted. When the doll arrived, the face-up was orangey and exactly what I didn't want.

3) If you answered "yes" to (2), did you tell the doll company and were you satisfied with the response?

No, because I figured it really wouldn't make a difference and if it bothered me that much I could re-sell the doll or change the face-up.

4) Do you feel that misleading photographs are a serious problem, or do you feel that companies aren't to be blamed for wanting to make their product look good ? Or, alternatively, do you think that there are plenty of other places to see different photographs of a doll (or even the doll in person at conventions, meetups and so forth) and therefore buyers should simply educate themselves more before they buy? Other thoughts?

I do firmly believe that buyers should educate themselves before making such an expensive purchase and I do understand a company is going to try to make their product look as wonderful as possible. If they didn't, would you really want to buy it? However, with some dolls, it just isn't possible to see owner pictures before purchasing either because it is a LE doll or there just aren't that many owners of the doll. I do think that something as important as a face-up should be accurately reflected in the photographs and companies definitely need to state clearly when something pictured isn't included or even available for purchase.

5) Do you think it would help to have a standard format of photos that would be shown by companies in addition to their pretty advertising photos - for example, pictures of unfaceupped heads taken from the front and side; body comparison photos showing unclothed bodies in a few established positions, like sitting and standing) or do you feel that enough companies already offer these?

I do think this would help, but I'm not sure it would even be possible to implement. How would it be regulated.

 

Good thread topic. I haven't yet experienced buying a doll and having her look radically different IRL from what was on the company site. There have been some minor differences but nothing to change my opinion of the doll.

However, were I ever in a situation where the doll did look very different from the one pictured on the site, I would most certainly contact the company with my concerns. These dolls are too expensive to not get something pretty close to what you pay for and what they advertise on their sites should represent their products accurately. I suppose that in a worst-case scenario, one could always contact their credit card company or Paypal (providing payment was made that way) to assist. I would also post here to let others know of my experience.

 

I don't think companies intentionally mislead anyone. I mean, most companies use stands when photographing, and I assume for their own personal dolls as well. Plus it's generally recommended, as far as I know, for us to use them as well. I haven't seen any real differences between company photos and user photos. Its obvious there are GOING to be differences. in the faceups (even company done) resin tone, and view from differing angles. (I think most differences are to the benefit of us, as in, they look better in person. I'm not sure a lot of companies have a good grasp on photography beyond trying to get photos that are decent enough to post to their websites). Also from at least a customer service point of view, most of the company representatives seem absolutely sweet and willing to help in any way possible. Unless they're really good con artists, I really don't think they have the need to pull one over on us.

That being said, I do think customers need to educate themselves on some of the more obvious discrepancies from photo to reality. And if possible, scour user photos like mad. Photography is a bit of a wonder sometimes.

DoDs are one well known example of dolls that just don't photograph well most of the time but are absolutely gorgeous. While companies, I don't believe are trying to mislead in any way whatsoever, sometimes it will unintentionally happen.

I do very seriously believe, however, that they just want their fans to be happy with the dolls they produce. It's a luxury item. If the customer is not happy, they will not continue to do business with the company.

 

1) Do you feel that some companies mislead, exaggerate, or confuse through their use of photos in advertising their dolls?
I think companies do their best to portray their dolls in the best light, and they're wayyyy better at doing that than the average doll owner, since their income depends on them making their dolls look good. However, I don't think the majority of them are purposely misleading. I think they're just trying to make their product look good. And in the vast majority of cases, someone who bought that doll could also make the doll look that good were they to invest the time and money.

There is only one company who I think is truly misleading -- their dolls tend to have one or two "good" angles and these are the ONLY angles you see in promo photos. Owner photos of their dolls tend to look absolutely nothing like the promos, to the point that I often don't realize it's the same doll. THAT actually bothers me, and I don't buy their dolls.

I also think that photographing dolls and making them look really good is a tricky business. There are a lot of dolls that I never cared for or downright disliked in photos who, once I saw them in person, I liked much better. Some dolls are just really photogenic (my kid delf Aru and the Bluefairy Jerome I used to have come to mind -- it's really hard to make those sculpts look bad) but some aren't (DOTs are hell to photograph, and IMO they look way better in person than in all but the very best photos).

2) Have you ever received a doll that you felt was not as shown in its photographs (aside from resin color or obvious defects like breakage)? What feature(s) was/ were misrepresented?
No, but this might be in part because I won't buy a doll without seeing owner photos. So, for example, when I got my Camine I was aware, from owner photos, that it's a hard head to get to look alert and not kind of wall-eyed. You can get Camine to look like the promo photos, but it actually involves some eye bevelling and some effort.

3) If you answered "yes" to (2), did you tell the doll company and were you satisfied with the response?
N/A

4) Do you feel that misleading photographs are a serious problem, or do you feel that companies aren't to be blamed for wanting to make their product look good ? Or, alternatively, do you think that there are plenty of other places to see different photographs of a doll (or even the doll in person at conventions, meetups and so forth) and therefore buyers should simply educate themselves more before they buy? Other thoughts?
I think it's the buyer's responsibility to do their research before they buy. Anyone who's selling anything tries to portray it as flatteringly as possible and it's unrealistic to expect doll companies to do any differently. I've quite effectively minimized my disappointment by not buying dolls without seeing owner photos beforehand, and honestly, all the dolls I've owned have looked much like I expected them to on the basis of the owner photos. I actually purposely seek out unflattering box-opening photos of dolls I'm considering buying, because I figure if I still like the doll once I've seen bald upnose shots it's probably a keeper.

5) Do you think it would help to have a standard format of photos that would be shown by companies in addition to their pretty advertising photos - for example, pictures of unfaceupped heads taken from the front and side; body comparison photos showing unclothed bodies in a few established positions, like sitting and standing) or do you feel that enough companies already offer these?
It would certainly help, and it would definitely be nice, and I'd really appreciate it, but I don't expect it to happen any time soon.

 

I actually find blank head pictures on many of the sites I visit, since a lot of the doll companies sell them separately - and there are often two or three angles shown when they do. I also can't think of a site that doesn't have at least one full-length picture of the naked doll - or at least the naked body, so we can see what it looks like.

I guess if there was one thing I'd like to see added, it would be just a couple of the same head, with different face-up's, eyes, and wigs. It's amazing how that can highlight something about a sculpt I hadn't seen before - even with a picture of the blank head.

Take, for example, LeekeWorld's Koji. I've been considering him for a while. I just checked the website the other day, and saw that they'd added new pictures of him with a different face-up, eyes, and wig. He looks like a completely different doll, and much younger than he did before. Even with the glamor shots and the blank head pictures, it still took another variation on his face-up to be able to make a decision on him.

Since I'm looking for a boyfriend for my Ryung, who is in her twenties, I am thinking that Koji is too young-looking. I don't think she wants to date a high school boy. They're too much trouble.

 

Interesting topic...

I think one thing to keep in mind is that while I do believe abjd companies care about their dolls and customers, they are still businesses trying to sell a product. The way to sell products is to make them look good through advertising--this isn't misleading persay, but you are seeing that product (in this case a doll) at it's very best with great clothes, a professional faceup, and a competent photographer, etc.

I've never felt mislead by pictures--they are images of what the doll can be, but not necessarily what me the new owner will make it into. Actually, I tend to find more companies that take less flattering pics, and that actually bothers me more. I tend to think 'what a shame people aren't seeing how beautiful those dolls can really be.' 100% of the time for me, I have received dolls that look better in person than they do in the pictures. Plus, unless a company is brand new, there are usually owner pics floating around that can give a good idea of what a particular sculpt looks like.

Also, being in the hobby for awhile, I've gotten use to looking past the faceups and wigs that dolls are pictured with. Instead I try and focus more on the potential expressiveness of the sculpt and facial structure (and in many cases how close it looks to the character I have in mind).

 

One particular doll of mine who has sleepy eyes, looks much better in the photo. In person, its very hard not to make him look cross eyed because the resin on the inside of the head is much thicker than it should be to put eyes in. How they managed to make it look normal was to take their pictures with eyes to one corner of the face. If you try to center them...it looks very odd. I've tried to even and widen the eyes to no avail, and it's very upsetting because he was so cute on the website and in person he looks insane. XD