Doll marketing photography: Do Companies Confuse or Mislead?

For me personally, I've not yet recieved either of the dolls I ordered, but when browsing company sites, I have to say that certain sculpts look beautiful and awesome- until I see the owners pics and realize what the doll might really look like. Because of that, my wishlist has been updated quite a few times ^^
And I think that there's nothing wrong with that- this is why I love owners pics, because it's happened the other way as well where the owner's pic is what made me fall in love with a sculpt that I never would have thought to like before. In both instances, I know that the doll that I'd get wouldn't be like what's in either picture, but it's not about that really, it's about seeing the doll in as many different looks/wigs/faceups as possible to help me decide if his or her features are strong enough to stand up to all that and still look the way I want.

 

This is a really good point--if you look through the databases you can see the same sculpt looking really different depending on the owner and the company pics are going to be the same way. All pictures company and owner show what can be done with a doll rather than what will be done in the hands of someone else. Companies tend to (but not always it seems) have a little extra expertise in presenting their dolls well and taking good pictures, but that's the same in the galleries here: some owner pics look amazing while some do not.

 

I was looking at one doll site in particular, and I really LOVED one of their head sculpts. Unfortunately it was out of stock on the site, so I found someone on DoA who was selling the mold I wanted. On the site it looked just like the character I was intending to buy it for, but once I got the head and stuck it on a body (by the same company), it looked WAY out of proportion. The neck looked super long and the nose was strangely upturned from the side! The shots on the site were taken from a downward angle, so I wasn't able to see this before I bought the doll head. Needless to say I was a bit dismayed, and I ended up selling both the head and the doll. It just didn't work out for me. Now I always make sure to troll the Gallery! here on DoA to see if I can check out other owners' photos and see the doll from every angle possible.

 

Soom knows how to make a beautiful concept for their monthly dolls, but I usually end up squinting trying to see what they actually have for sale. There's so much Photoshop glitter and glamour in those pictures, it's hard to see and judge the actual product.
Next to that, with the limited part of the monthly dolls, you just have to take a leap of faith and buy without seeing owner pictures. I'd wish they would post a link to the pre-photoshop pictures with each of their monthly dolls.

There is so far only one case in which I know for sure you are not getting what's in the company pictures and that's with Dollfair's Limhwa site. (Has it been mentioned before? I didn't read all posts.) There you are still shown the Limho Mano body with the old and smaller torso (which I happen to like), but Limho Mano is now only produced with the larger, more buff torso (which I don't like).
The website does not mention that the body you see in the pictures is not the body you'll get when you order a Mano. It's something you have to know and although it was announced that Limho Mano's smaller torso would no longer be produced, you wouldn't know that if you are new to the hobby or only recently got interested in the company.
Luckily there are lots of pictures of Manos with the larger torso here on DoA, so there's at least a place where you can see the actual product Dollfair sells.

 

Owner photos. I would never buy a doll (especially expensive) without looking for several owner pictures. I don't consider the official pictures to be completely accurate for the most part, so I look around. The pictures are misleading a lot of times.

 

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

Oh they always do. Their goal is to sell the doll. So short of doctoring the photos they are gonna use every other trick in the book XP

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, When I was planning out my first girl doll, I had become infactuated with a certain doll companie's sculpts. I loved one particular sculpt the best and decided to purchase it. There aren't any pictures that I know of -of this particular sculpt- I don't even know if there are any other owners of the sculpt on DOA either-I did look though
When I received the sculpt- I soon realized that the forhead was unusualy wide and flat-It was hidden under hair in all of the photos on the website, and also the nose was larger than it appears in the company photos. She also has something odd going on with the shape or her jawline right around her ears.

But the face up was exactly the same as the sculpt's on the website, and She even came with eyelashes (which unfortunately got bent during shipping DX) but I love the way she looks.

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

I didn't tell the company because....well one I think I was going through an agent of the company or something. And two - I still absolutely love the sculpt, the flaws just make her seem more endearing to me. So I really had nothing to complain about.

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 actually think that companies should not only have their own photograps on the website, I think that they should also take pictures of the sculpt with out any face ups on in profile, 3/4, frontal, and back veiw. And also that they should be up front when it comes to face ups-such as if you are going to get a different face up than the doll in the photos has. Doll companies do need to sell dolls in order to stay in business...but come on - don't sell you soul to sell a doll.

I have started to see some doll companies start to have galleries where owners can display pictures of their own doll. I think this is a great trend. On one hand you can check out the pictures from owners with different levels of photography and different angles too. And the doll companies can benefit from this also-the potential owners have the opportunity to see how versitile the sculpts are with free pics from happy customers. It's free publicity.

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 think that should be standard, and I do see some companies already doing that. I think luts is pretty good at doing the pretty photos and some standard photos. When the come out with a new body sculpt and joint design-they post extra pictures of the bodies in the optional parts section and they usually have a direct link from the full doll's page.

 

While I don't think that companies intentionally mean to mislead it's only to be expected that they're going to show their dolls in the best way. It's simple merchandising.

I have experienced getting a doll that looked nothing like the company photos though. They showed him with a dramatic, rather Goth face-up & when he arrived he looked nothing like that, just a little smear of brown eyeshadow in an awkward place. I was quite disappointed as I'd bought the full-set to get the special face-up. I didn't tell the company as I'd ordered it thru a store.

I don't find it to be a serious problem as I've ordered literally dozens of dolls & only haf that one problem. Plus there are many places like the gallery & various boards to see actual owners' pics.

I would like to see some standard pics though, like a straight on shot of the face & a good profile one. All the pretty poses are nice but I'd prefer a clear forward gazing one to get a complete idea of the face. Also standard nude pics of the body forward, to the side & back really would give a better idea of proportions & detail.

 

Sheesh--I miss visiting for a few weeks due to some RL issues, then I come back and find a wonderful topic like this.

I don't mind the beautiful pictures the companies take of the dolls, I find it part of the whole experience. So far I've done my own faceups on all but one my dolls (or tried to anyway) so I really appreciate it when a "parts" photo is somewhere on the website. Also, I like to see a full nude body pic from two or three angles. I always come here for my 'real life' reality check before buying anyway---so far I've been luck with always finding one or two pics at least. Oh--and magazines such as Haute Doll or Fashion Doll Quarterly often have informative pics too.

I would like it if the companies would at least list/link to where you can get the eyes if they show the doll with ones that are not included.

Now, here's where people are going to get upset with me. I also collect fashion dolls. After looking at the 'real life' and company promo shots of ABJD doll clothes I am afraid that the fashion doll industry has ABJDs beat when it comes to clothing quality in what is advertised as 'collector quality'---plus a lot of the time you can't buy the clothes on the website anyway. I am only talking about the actual ABJD company clothes, not those made by independant sewers or companies specializing in clothes.

 

I can't say that I disagree with you about the clothes. The fashion dolls do come with what is pictured & in general the clothes are excellent quality. But in a way that's what makes them fashion dolls. The same sculpt is released over & over with simply a change of clothes.

I also wish BJD companies would make the clothes in the promo pics available for purchase. Some of them are fantastic. But thank goodness, there are some fabulous designers creating unique outfits for these dolls & generally at less expensive prices than what the few company outfits sell for.

 

I don't know as much about fashion dolls as some of you other guys do, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but some of what you're seeing can probably be chalked up to the differences between collecting fashion dolls and the abjd hobby. It's not that clothing isn't important with abjds--obviously it is as it can enhance a doll's look, but at the same time it's still very much secondary to the dolls themselves.

I kind of have the impression that with fashion dolls the clothing is almost primary, and that it and the dolls are made to be more along the lines of display pieces. Abjds on the other hand tend to have lots of clothing changes and get handled a great deal and that the clothing is secondary. Abjd companies (except in the cases of LE fullsets) are selling blank dolls to be customized rather than finished shelf pieces. The clothes that non-full sets are pictured in are only to make the doll look nice for pictures, but otherwise isn't part of any kind of package. Even with full sets, people will often split the clothes from the doll, or at least end up changing the outfit.

Clothing quality will also vary by company--some put out nicer things than others, and sometimes it depends on the type of clothing (for example company A might have great casual clothes, but company B does much better dresses, etc). However, these are primarily doll companies, not clothing manufacturers.

 

bunnydot said:

To answer this:

1. No. I appreciate and like the photos most companies do. It's inspirational, and yet it's easy to look at the basic sculpt of the doll and figure things out. Besides we should be, by now, 'trained consumers' in a marketing world, to look at things and figure things out. Advertising is everywhere and I see nothing wrong with it. It teaches one to be discerning and think, and research before spending money, . . . and if you don't? Shame on you.

2. NO!

3. Does not apply.

4. No, serious problem here. See my first answer. Plus there are lots of owner photos one can look at, AND if you 'know' a company . . . and have bought their products before you can get a 'feel' for their product and their style/design. Plus one can go to meet ups and see dolls first hand, or ask friends who collect, or people online here how they like their doll purchase.

5. NO!! Freedom, and creativity are important here for everyone and there is nothing wrong with nice marketing photos UNLESS there was a blatant manipulation (and you can prove it), and most companies are interested in making sales and having repeat customers so I doubt they are going to try and mislead anyone. If they do, they won't be in business long. Plus, the ability to think, research . . . before buying is one's responsibility as a consumer.

Are YOU unhappy with your decision making process for buying a doll is that why this thread?

 

I like the artsy pictures up to a point, but I also want to see what the sculpt looks like. I was very annoyed with Souldoll when they put their two new girls out-they both had very stylized and extreme outfits and makeup and I literally couldn't see what the faces actually looked like under the paint-and those were the only pictures of the dolls they presented. Souldoll is just now getting around to putting up pictures with a more normal default face-up, and the dolls have been out for a little while. People asked them on the Q&A when they were going to put up regular pictures, but they didn't seem to be in any particular hurry. Definitely an example of carrying the artsy thing too far, IMO. People won't want to pay that kind of money for a doll if they can't see what it really looks like.

 

1) Do you feel that some companies mislead, exaggerate, or confuse through their use of photos in advertising their dolls?
- there're some company that I will never buy from them because of unbalance mold that can see in the real like but, in the picture that were shown on the website the doll is stay on the angle that they will look good and can hide the mistake on the mold.

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 have received my first doll and felt dislike of his face, He is Spinel from Soom. The make up is very pink and very very orange and make him look like an oldest woman. I really hate that! but in the pictures shown on website he looks really handsome and manly.
so waht the hell with my doll face......??? and Yes his arms are too thin!

and the second was happened to my sister doll, she received Sabik and the face up was really rough so I think if the make up artist of the company can't paint like the picture on website they CAN NOT ask for $50 for face up if they only can do A VERY ROUGH face up to my sister doll and also my dolls.

and also happen on my Lati red L too, the face up is really bad like, in that time they don't have any artist go to work that day and going to ask someone there to paint and send it to me....

That all make me felt so bad and very disappoint that what i'm I buying...

3) If you answered "yes" to (2), did you tell the doll company and were you satisfied with the response?
- I didn't tell the company(so bad) but I sell it to other member on DOA who like it more than me. (Only Spinel ans Lati Red L are sold but my sister Sabik had repainting his face and now he looks really handsome)

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 ?
- I think is is seriously problem for me when purchase the doll. I have see some owner talking about thier dolls that have unbalance sculpt mold, and I'm afraid to be the one of that group. If the company want their product looking good on website and manipulate all photos to show, but in the real product arn't like that so that company going to lie to customers.

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 think this is very helpful when the customer decide thier mind to buy each doll, even if the company don't want to show the mistake on some mold they're selling.

I think that is OK that many companies already offers these because, I can't buy something that I can't see it cleary enough too.

sorry for my poor English

 

Actually, there ARE plenty of people who buy an LE fullset for the outfit and/or accessories. Then they sell the doll. [In fact, I think there is already another Debate thread about just that.]

As for whether or not a couture label matters to BJD buyers: Some of those H.Naoto and BTSSB Volks one-offs, you know they're wandering around naked out there.

I would also disagree with Lizabeth that fashion-doll outfits always have BJD outfits beat in quality ['collector quality']... For example, have you ever gotten an Iplehouse fullset? The construction and workmanship of their clothing is to die for. Even when the outfit is hideous (what WERE they thinking putting a Tan Lion into that gingham suit?) it makes you want to keep the thing around as a part of the fullset, almost an entity unto itself. Tan Soo-Ri and Akando Pierrot's outfits could also be fashion-museum or costume-museum pieces. Their regular website stock does include clothes of the same manufacture, too (i.e. their suits and leather jackets, which are very pricey but worth it). In fact, sometimes I think their photography makes the items look LESS nice than they do in real life...

 

My problem with the doll vs. fashion subject that was just brought up is this: why is it so hard for both these sides to coexist equally with these dolls? Why can the fashion aspect not be equally as important as the doll itself?

I mean, fashion is in one aspect the art form of expressing ones inner self on the outside, thus making it rather ironic that it is considered "secondary" to other parts of this hobby (as Taco put it).

Or maybe I'm just some rare exception that cares just as much about what my doll is wearing as "who" she is. *shrug*

 

Have to agree with you also. I collected fashion dolls for years & the biggest problem was that I had to buy another & another of the same mold just to get an outfit I loved. Many people did the same thing I did, strip the doll, keep the clothes & sell it naked, generally at a huge loss. It became pretty frustrating after a while.

With BJDs there are so many beautiful sculpts that you never have to repeat one. And with the exception of full-sets & OOAK, the clothes definitely take a backseat to the doll itself. I'm not saying that the outfits aren't well made, as they generally are, but they simply aren't the main point of purchase for most dolls. Still, I do wish that some of the display outfits were offered for sale. Some of those are magnificient.

 

Both sides can certainly coexist, and I don't think anyone in this thread has suggested otherwise. It's just that the two hobbies have some differences in focus, so going from one into the other maybe a different experience and some aspects really aren't going to be the same. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just helpful to know what to expect.

I don't think that putting the doll above clothes is at all ironic. It isn't that clothes aren't important--lots of people put a good deal of thought into how they want their dolls to look, and clothes add a lot to that. However, it's about getting your doll to look his/her best and bring out their character rather than using the doll just to display the outfit. The clothes are important, but not the primary focus. It's buying the clothes for the doll rather than buying the doll for the outfit. That's not to say that abjds can't be used in the same way that fashion dolls are or that a hobbyist can't elevate clothes to a place of primacy, but that isn't necessarily the intent behind them and that's reflected in what companies offer and how they operate. There's a reason why fashion dolls are sold with very intricate outfits while abjds are usually sold bald and naked.