AN advertising campaign for Dove featuring "real" women rather than supermodels has been voted one of the favourite adverts of the year.

The soap and beauty cream maker came top in the Superbrands organisation's awards for its firming body cream advert. Other brands awarded prizes included Marks & Spencer, which was voted top retail brand by consumers.

Gillette, British Telecom, Duracell, Heinz and Jaguar were also voted best brands.

The research revealed that a brand owner's environmental policies were becoming a more important factor in consumers' purchasing choices.

Despite Gillette's success, celebrity endorsement from stars such as David Beckham influenced only three per cent of consumers, research found.

Consumers were generally willing to pay a premium for a well-known brand, with a quarter willing to ignore price and promotions to stay loyal to their favourite.