2021 Silver Best Brand Building Campaign

Agency: Ogilvy UK

Client: Dove Masterbrand

Campaign Name: How Dove found Beauty in the time of COVID.

Campaign Overview

When the pandemic hit Dove committed to support healthcare workers around the world with products, equipment and donations.

Ogilvy’s challenge was to honour healthcare heroes and stay true to Dove's platform of Real Beauty

Strategy

Dove global commitment to support healthcare workers included donating personal care products and sanitiser to frontline staff, hospitals, governments and NGO initiatives, working in partnership with Direct Relief in the US to provide PPE, ventilators and medicines.

Beauty wasn't going to turn the pandemic around; the health service was. It was an act of courage by frontline workers that unlocked the campaign insight.

They posted pictures on social media of their exhausted faces, bruised by protective masks after double shifts, as a wake-up call to the rest of us to take the pandemic seriously.

These striking images were captivating, bringing the reality of the pandemic to life in a way government messaging couldn’t.

These were faces of courage, and in their strength Dove saw beauty.

Creativity

The idea was to honour these healthcare workers, featuring their powerful portraits to thank them directly for their selfless actions; drawing attention to the serious message they were trying to send while showing the world their ‘Courage is Beautiful’.

This beauty couldn't be cast or shot or edited; it was raw, unadulterated, beautiful courage. As more images emerged on social media, Dove reached out to people directly to ask if they'd be willing to feature in the campaign.

Less than a week after the idea was conceived the campaign launched on major TV networks, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with different-length films. The campaign utilised a combination of social, TV, D/OOH and earned media, enabling the brand to create a platform to collectively thank healthcare workers, generating global solidarity.

In addition, collecting data on keyworkers' shift patterns and commute times underpinned upweighted DOOH, programming billboards and bus shelters to broadcast the ads between shifts. This targeted media model was rolled out at hospital sites across 15 countries supported by Dove with products, equipment and donations to healthcare professionals.

Results

Courage is Beautiful poignantly captured the zeitgeist of the pandemic, generating over two billion global impressions.

Campaign engagement rates were unprecedented for Dove:

· 349% Facebook

· 1,599% Twitter

· 300% Instagram

View Through Rates were also significantly higher than benchmarks.

The 30-second film on Twitter set a Dove record with engagement rates +2601% vs. Dove benchmark, and +1250% vs. Unilever benchmark.

There was 99% positive sentiment on social media.

Thousands globally joining Dove in thanking frontline workers, many commending the initiative.

Healthcare workers acknowledged the role Dove products had played during the pandemic in caring for their skin.

Most importantly, the frontline workers who were the face of the campaign felt proud and empowered to be part of a message of hope and strength that reached millions around the world.

The Team

Ogilvy - Daniel Fisher, Global Executive Creative Director - Juliana Paracencio, Global Creative Director - Mike Kerry, Global Creative Delivery Lead - Sid Tomkins, Designer - Ila De Mello Kamath, Strategy Partner - Cristina Diago, Strategist - Jo Bacon, Global Managing Director - Sam Pierce, Global Managing Partner - Georgie Howard, Global Business Director - Beth Blatch, Account Director

Ogilvy Toronto - Brian Murray, Chief Executive Officer - Christian Horsfall, Group Creative Director - Pam Danowski, Associate Creative Director - Tom Kenny, Chief Strategy Officer - Aviva Groll, Worldwide Managing Director

WPP - Ben Kay, Chief Strategy Officer