Doll marketing photography: Do Companies Confuse or Mislead?

I'll admit, I had a disappointing experience with an early doll: my DoD Tender E-an. I'll admit, I did order a newly released doll so there were no owner pics yet. I had heard about the issue with DoD dolls looking different from the site pics, and looked at owner photos of other DoD sculpts. I noticed that DoD dolls seem prone to the "cross-eye/lazy-eye" syndrome, but decided she was worth it anyway.

When I got the doll, the differences were far greater than I'd expected. Mostly her nose... she had this strange dent/crease at the base of her nose that was very well-hidden in the promo shots. Her "Tender" eyewells were deeper than they appeared in the angles shown on the site, which made it incredibly hard to catch light in the eyes in photos. I would still have bought the doll had I known of these issues, but I felt it bordered on deceptiveness from the company. My first two dolls had impressed me by looking even better in person (a DIM and a CP sculpt), and I found my DoD experience disappointing. I ended up modding her eyes to fit what I had originally wanted.

Yes, it is the responsibility of the customer to educate themselves, and I accept that. But what about a less popular sculpt (like Unidoll Cupi, Jaimedoll Winny or Soom's Nion, all dolls I have recently looked into). For these dolls, there are very few "outside references" or owner pictures available. In those cases, I have to trust that the representation on the company's website is a faithful one, if "glammed up" a little.

I think there's a difference between making the product look the best it can, and deliberately hiding flaws through camera angles and lighting. Yes, they're trying to sell a product, but I feel that some companies do tend to mislead the consumer. Some may argue that it's just a business practice, but I personally think it borders on the unethical in certain cases.

Also, I would prefer to see a plain, blank doll picture over a faceupped studio shot. I think a faceupped doll actually impedes me seeing the potential in the sculpt, versus looking at the blank canvas (so to speak) and seeing what I could do with it. And I tend not to even pay attention to the eyes , clothes, or wig that the doll is wearing. For me, this hobby is about customization and it's very, very rare that a doll will be shown on the site wearing what I would choose.

 

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

Oh yes, and it goes both ways. Sometimes dolls are much... well, not "worse", but so different you just don't see in them appealing features you found on photos. And sometimes quite the opposite is true - the pictures are "who on earth will buy this?", but owner pics and "live" dolls are absolutely charming - even fresh from the box, without owner's image on them yet.
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?

Well, one doll turned up looking younger and more gentle then it was on photos (and it was new release I ordered in the first day, so no owner's pics then), but I liked it more for that, so it's OK.

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

Obviously no.

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?

As it is, I think companies are to be blamed for making they dolls look worse. I was desperately looking for certain type of a girl - and I found it unexpectedly with help of owner's photo, That company's photo make real awful impression, but in reality it was exactly what i need... and judging by unpopularity of that doll, I'm not the only one so misled.
And of course using too much Photoshop on photos isn't good either. I don't want to buy Photoshop effects, I'm looking for a dolls ))))

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?

Oh yes! I especially would like to see unfaceupped heads - you usually don't see them if company doesn't offer heads separately. But even if I'm buying full doll with face-up, I still would like to see what is underneath. It greatly hepls me to make a decision.
Naked bodies I see more often, so I think it's enough of them.

 

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

I think that, like most companies, they try to present their products in the best way possible. You should see the amount of photoshop work I've had to do on a couple talent agency headshots that have come through my work! When I worked making real estate brochures, we'd stage the house for photography, and clone out any unsightly electrical cords or outlets, or wrinkled pillows, etc. I do think doll companies need to be careful, though, since so many owners communicate with each other - one disappointed customer who feels misled can influence many others. If they're showing the doll in a totally different way than it will be sent (drastically different faceup, for example) or deliberately shooting from angles that hide something major (super-pointy nose, maybe?) I do consider that deceptive. There's a fine line between "showing it at its best" and "hiding things".

There are also companies that don't have good enough photos! That's a whole other issue, I guess.



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?

I only have one, bought secondhand, and it was better than the company photos actually!



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 that the companies obviously should show the doll at its best, but they also have the responsibility of being honest and somewhat realistic. I would like to see both "glamour shots" and basic "this is what it looks like" shots before I buy a doll. Owner photos help, but not for limiteds that sell out quickly, new dolls, or less common dolls. I find owner opinions help as much or more than their photos, since so many owners are amazing photographers, they have "glamour shots" too!



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 would REALLY like this. Seeing the head without a faceup, and especially without a wig can really help show how the features actually are. From the front and the side, so the whole face and profile can be seen. I don't think enough companies do this. Just as important to me is seeing the body. I can't remember where it was, but there was a doll I was considering and I searched around forever and never did see a photo of the body without clothes covering it! Body sculpt and posability is very important to many people, including me.

 

1) Do you feel that some companies mislead, exaggerate, or confuse through their use of photos in advertising their dolls?
Not at all. See my response later.
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?
See later response.
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?

Okay here's how I feel. Preface: even on DoA you can see the same mold and it looks different. The face-up can so change the attitude of doll/character.
I'll just say that, as everyone else said, everyone wants to show the best of their product.
The thing I have noticed is that people do not read websites. Many a time have I seen "special artistic eyes"/"special face-up" not included. I've seen many a post that stated "he/she didn't come with ****". Then a post 2 or 3 later would say, "If you read the website".
I like (the idea of) getting full sets - so far I only have 2 (puki and littlefee).

Now WIGS - that is the only item that I have trouble with. Wigs never come in style that they are shown in. They can't as the style would get squashed. BUT I cannot style hair, doll's or mine own, to save my life. I would love to see a tutorial or youtube link to show me how to do it.

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? They already do, just need to look around.
This might be a bit different from others, but face-up-less dolls tend to not look like themselves. It could just be the lighting, but I tend not to look at them. I only look at them to find eye shape.

 

Lol, there has been a slightly annoying trend lately of companies showing dolls with their faces half covered. Whether it's the wig, a big chunky piece of headgear, or a stand-up collar, it's maddening lately just trying to get a LOOK at a new sculpt! XD

I figure they must be onto some new marketing trend somewhere that states "Obfuscating the item being sold = selling more of it"

You'd think somewhere in the promotion, the web-site, anywhere there'd be a pic of it uncovered... but NO! ...Just wacky! XD

Raven
(& Dayquil)

 

I find a lot of companies photograph the dolls for their advantage, of course. They are there to sell a product, and I think of it as cereal, product photographers don't just grab one box of cereal and dump it in a bowl. They carefully go through TONS of boxes collecting "perfect" flakes and making the picture look appeasing and appetizing. It's their job.

 

I rarely ever go by company photos of dolls. So much depends on lighting and also how the doll is dressed, the face-up, etc. I can't help but find myself drawn to a doll on a company site because of the accessories or setting of the photo or whatever, rather than the actual mold. I always check DoA, Deviantart, or Flickr and look at user-submitted photos of various dolls of the same mold, just to get an idea of different angles, how well the doll photographs in other lighting, or what it looks like with different wigs and face-ups. Company photos are very misleading in my opinion, and not always do they make the doll look significantly better. I've seen a numerous amount of company pictures that don't do a doll justice.

 

I really, really like Fairyland's new Minifee, Rheia. There are no owner pics of her yet and I'm getting her without company face-up. I know she won't look anything like the Rheia in the promo pics because I've only seen Rheia with her face-up...but I like the underlying sculpt enough, (the nose, eye shape and mouth) to take the gamble.

I don't think company photos are deliberately intended to decieve the potential buyer. I think these companies have enough pride in their work to want to display it to it's best potential. If the company photographer takes a better picture of Rheia than I do, it's up to me to up my game. If the company photographer does a terrible job of photographing dolls (the Volks photographer seems to favour very plain shots and rarely shows the dolls with a spark of life) then the doll I get I will be able to portray better.

 

Every company misleads with their product photography.

When you buy a frozen pizza at the supermarket, the picture on the box always has more cheese and toppings then the actual pizza does.

When you look at clothes on a catalog or online, sometimes the dress will look completely different on the model then it will once you get it home.

When you see new cars in tv adverts that have a high gloss and shine finish, yet when you drive past the car showroom, the cars are never that glossy.

Doll photography is just the same, of course they take super great pictures of their products, they want you to buy it.

 

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

I think it really does go both ways on this, as a lot of people are pointing out. There are dolls that are completely a separate package from what you see on their promo pictures, and then there are dolls that are much better in owner pictures than the company's official photos, even. I always think of how it took me a good year or so to figure out a few dolls I loved were Luts El sculpts because his official pictures/default faceup made him look SO different. Not in a bad way really, but it was a little disconcerting when I finally got it. Now I really make an effort to pay attention to the shape of the face without the faceup and what kind of angles are provided by the company.



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?

Not so much really, though my first doll was an SDF Ethan Ltd. and I did distinctly think about how there weren't any honest profile shots of his face on the company site. At that time I was so new to the hobby I didn't even know what DoA was though, so I didn't think to look up owner pictures. But I did love him enough to take the gamble and was extremely happy with his face from the side in spite of everything.



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?

As a buyer I have to expect a company could be photographing or even photoshopping a doll in a flattering light; I think to believe otherwise would be a little naiive. I'm going to be careful about my next doll purchase since my money is tight, which means lots of outside pictures in addition to the official doll promos. I think a lot of people handle this differently, but to me it's a personal responsibility on my part as a consumer to do my homework and make sure I'm happy with what I put my money into. Plus with a resource as great as DoA (most notably, the gallery forums) I don't think I can go wrong



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 actually rather dislike seeing unpainted doll faces, they always seem wrong to me...but they have convinced me out of liking some molds, because it's so easy to see the facial flaws without any angles or makeup. Plus, based on how a lot of other people react, it seems to be a rather important component of their consideration when buying. However, getting many doll companies to agree to such standards seems very unlikely to say the least. They have their own business to run and consumer reactions should be enough to help them readjust their standards if they want to be successful.

 

I dont feel bad about companies making pictures of thier dolls in pretties angles and lights. They trying to sell them. All companies do that, not only doll companies. That's natural. You just have to make a research. And when I decided on buying my first bjd and fell in love with B&G Aurora promo pictures, I spend a lot of time on reasearch of home-made pictures of her because of it. Unfortunality, I found none, and when I decided to buy her after all, I knew that I am risking. But when she arrived, she was even more beautiful than on promos. There's nothing in her that pictures hid =3 I was so much relieved~

i dont know, maybe it's just me being new to this, or because of my good first expirience, but for me it feels like companies love their dolls. Off course they want to show them off as pretty as they could, but still after all dolls I saw on dollmeets, I never saw doll in defould faceup that looked different from promos in bad way. I dont feel like they are trying to full us into buying

 

I so agree with you there. I cant take that leap of faith because I never rarely sell my dolls. ~Gus

 

Actually, They are trying to sell products FOR hundreds of dollars, not 'worth.'
That's the point of their marketing. When I saw Angell Studio's Gabriel in snow I was fascinated but when I saw ther "REAL" doll (the Actual product) on ebay it did look significantly different, for one thing the faceup was not done right and her eyebrows were up too high and it took from her elegance as did the "real" lighting. It wasn't played up with all the marketing techniques and just looked like something that was "worth" what they are really "worth" - which isn't $455+!!

I'm level-headed and I'm a very smart shopper (90% of the time). When I find a doll that I think is remarkable I search for it on any other website I can think of to see what it really looks like and I often base my buying decisions on that research.

Also, I don't look towards buying things that I cannot see, in other words I won't buy things that don't show me what I'm getting. For instance, LUTS doesn't show you the body you are getting. They have an entire page of a doll modelling some extraordinary outfit that is never available and some wig that's been customized for the photos but what about the actual product I'd be paying them for? They don't show me that, I have to figure out where they might have it in a parts section or otherwise. I'm not looking for a goose-chase either. If I'm buying something I don't want to be disappointed. I do get bitter sometimes about the prices of these dolls, especially the ones that are higher priced and come with no eyes, no hair, no makeup, no clothes!!!
As a former heirloom collector I feel extremely taken advantage of in the case of BJDs. Heirloom dolls are considerably cheaper but come complete!

But as a doll-lover and collector I will buy a few BJD's none the less, however, I feel that my collection will always remain small because I refuse to be taken advantage of. And I refuse to buy into marketing.

 

I understand wanting to have a good sense of what you're going to be getting. However, as for what stuff is worth--bjds aren't Heirloom dolls, or fashion dolls, or porcelain dolls etc, so you can't really compare. You have to figure out what things are worth to you, but that's very personal and doesn't actually make something overpriced (or underpriced I suppose). Hobbies are different and so are the expectations when it come to what you're getting at what price, and while different types of dolls are still all dolls, the communities of collectors/hobbyists can be quite different. To abjd enthusiasts a particular doll might be well worth an amount that a fashion doll person might think crazy.

I don't expect abjd to come complete, because they are supposed to be customized by the owner, and the level of detail, quality and engineering (and the fact that they have the aesthetic qualities I like) make them well worth the money for me. Of course that doesn't mean that everyone wants to shell out that much, and that's ok. But it doesn't mean that the companies are ripping you off either. All companies (and I don't just mean abjd), however, will try and use marketing to their advantage if possible, because that's how they survive. Items like dolls aren't things we have to have to live (though it seems to feel that way sometimes ), so companies have to give us a reason to want to buy them.

 

If you can't be bothered to click to the another page on the site to find the body-photos, or read the product-description to see which wig & body comes with the doll, or write to Q&A to request more/better pictures of something you can't see, or otherwise find out what you're getting for your money-- then yes, your collection will stay small indeed. Fortune always favors those who are willing to read the fine print.

 

When I ordered my boy from Latidoll, I was expecting to get the 'default' faceup as shown in the promo pictures. Imagine my surprise when he came with completely different brows - that was before they revamped all their pictures, though.

It took me a while to get used to those thicker brows, but now he's my favourite so it's all good.

One that didn't turn out so well was their Censya - her outfit looked fabulous and intricate on the site photos, but when I had the actual product in my hands I wasn't too satisfied, to be honest. The shorts were crooked, and some of the rhinestones were dropping off, and the bustier didn't fit properly. Outfit aside, her faceup was impeccable and I styled her wig to fit my image...so it worked out in the end.

 

I was discontent with one of the dolls I know you are talking about! I don't buy dolls based on company photographs anymore! I depend on pictures I see that owners have now.

 

1) Do you feel that some companies mislead, exaggerate, or confuse through their use of photos in advertising their dolls?
There are some companies I would probably never purchase from because I can tell the photos aren't factual representations, and I feel sorry for those buyers with a less-discerning 'eye' who purchase believing in those pictures. I would prefer to buy from a company whose photos are kind of fugly but basically honest.

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?
I've always found my new dolls look even better than I'd hoped when they arrive! But, I also prefer to purchase dolls that are depicted on the sellers' site in simple, clear, well-lit and obviously unretouched photos from multiple angles - Pipos and Fairyland -for example- do a great job with this while still making images pretty enuff to merit desktop wallpaper; I just love looking at their site pics. I think these types of photographs say so much more about a company's pride in their product and how it is crafted that all the moody, sidelit 'artistic' images - I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than egregiously disappointed.

3) If you answered "yes" to (2), did you tell the doll company and were you satisfied with the response?
I answered 'no', but if I were, I would definitely take it up with the company.

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?
'Caveat Emptor' is always the ultimate rule in any marketplace, but I personally would not give my support to any company that wastes its resources making false depictions of their products, instead of improving them.

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?
Something I would like to see consistently done is showing head-mold in profile (I have a 'thing' about excessively pointy noses) and also including a real-world scale reference in some photos. I know one of the factors that committed me to getting my Lati Red was the range-of-motion shots of the Red body shown on their site - I knew I wanted a fellow who could pose like a pretzel and I ordered with full confidence he would deliver ::luvs her Lati::

Of course, some of my fun in the 'waiting' time is getting out the tape measure, researching measurements, and trying to visualize my new doll at scale, but a company would be far more likely to see my money if they presented their dolls like this; it's one of the touches that earns my undying loyalty as a customer.

I personally find it a little hard to 'see' a doll when it isn't faceupped - I have a far easier time mentally removing or altering an existing faceup than visualizing it on a blank head - there just isn't enough tonal range in the shadows on blanks to really 'see' the features in an online photo. I think it would be very informative and interesting to see the same doll with some different examples of eyes and wigs.

I'd also like to see more 'group shots' depicting a company's entire line all together, as well as 'in production' photos, but that is more my curiosity - this is an aspect of the dolls only the company can show us!

 

I agree... owner photos and research for other mods of the same mold/doll are the way to go.