top of page

Dove "Real Beauty Sketches" Campaign

Targeting - Women and advocates for body positivity

Core Theme of the Campaign -

Highlighting the impact of self-esteem on self-image

About the
Campaign
-

Dove's empowering ad

Formula applied by the Campaign to elicit customer action -

Revealing women's self-perception and societal norms

Business Title

A Look at
the Campaign

The Dove "Real Beauty Sketches" campaign, launched in 2013, is a widely acclaimed and emotionally powerful marketing initiative by Dove, a personal care brand. This campaign aimed to challenge and redefine societal standards of beauty while promoting Dove's products.

Here are the key details about the Dove "Real Beauty Sketches" campaign:

1. Concept: The central concept of the campaign was to explore how women perceive their own beauty compared to how others perceive them. It aimed to highlight that women are often their own harshest critics when it comes to appearance.

2. Sketch Artist Experiment: Dove conducted a social experiment in which an FBI-trained forensic artist, Gil Zamora, created composite sketches of women based on their self-descriptions and then again based on descriptions provided by strangers who had briefly interacted with the women.

3. Contrast in Descriptions: The campaign revealed a stark contrast between how the women described themselves (often with self-criticism) and how others described them (with more kindness and positivity).

4. Emotional Impact: The women's emotional reactions upon seeing the two sketches, one based on their self-description and the other based on a stranger's description, were a key focus of the campaign. Many women were moved to tears when they saw the sketches side by side.

5. Real Women: Dove featured real women of diverse ages and backgrounds in the campaign, not professional models, to reinforce the idea that beauty comes in all forms.

6. Viral Sensation: The "Real Beauty Sketches" video quickly went viral on social media and generated significant attention and discussion.

7. Global Reach: The campaign was launched globally, resonating with women around the world and sparking important conversations about self-esteem and body image.

8. Brand Message: While Dove did not directly promote its products in the video, the campaign reinforced Dove's long-standing brand message of promoting real beauty and self-confidence.

9. Awards and Recognition: The campaign received numerous awards and accolades in the advertising industry for its emotional impact and social significance.

The Dove "Real Beauty Sketches" campaign is often cited as a prime example of how a brand can use its advertising platform to address important societal issues, challenge stereotypes, and promote positive self-image and self-esteem among women. It had a profound impact on the beauty and advertising industries and continues to be discussed and studied as a benchmark for emotionally resonant marketing campaigns.

Should you find value in this succinct overview, you will appreciate access to 
BRAND
COLOSSAL

An exhaustive analysis we have garnered elucidating the following 3 studies -

A. The comprehensive breakdown & precise elements that led to the campaign’s success

B. Intricate details behind the campaign to ensure you don't miss any valuable insights we've uncovered

C. Components required to execute a similar campaign or a campaign of equivalent magnitude at your scale
 
This shall be alongside an extensive compendium of these insights for more than 1600 additional successful campaigns. 
bottom of page