The Campaign

The Miss Universe pageant and the Philippines have a long, rich history. Three-time title holder and three-time host country. Filipinos revere it to the point of treating it as a national sport. But as opposed to Dove’s equity, the pageant maintains rigid and conventional standards of beauty. Based on averages, one must be roughly 20 years of age, 5 ft. 7 inches in height, with a Body Mass Index score of 19. Majority of Filipinas strive hard to uphold that one standard of beauty. But in reality, not every woman can achieve those vital statistics. Research shows that criticisms and low self-esteem are at a high during pageant season. Women even bashed the Miss Universe candidates when they don’t meet the impossible standards the pageant has set. So we launched a film that not only challenged the standards of the pageant, but also the standards women have set for themselves.

Execution

When criticisms were at its highest, right after the crowning moment of the new Miss Universe 2016, Dove launched a film that reminded everyone that --- Real Beauty Is Universal. We showcased a diverse set of women who aren’t your typical Miss Universe candidate, from all shapes, sizes and colors. And we roadblocked every single screen in the Philippines: on TV, digital and outdoor, even on the event itself. The movement grew even bigger through an online activation, which got women to reverse their behavior of internalized misogyny and instead, tell other women what makes them uniquely beautiful.

The campaign spiraled into an online movement of women lifting other women up. 10 million views. 250 million impressions. It was picked up by local and international media. Resulting to 16.2 million pesos worth of earned media. Local: Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Business World, Manila Bulletin. International: Mumbrella, DesignTaxi, CNN, Fotune, Campaign Brief Asia Website page views quadrupled during campaign period. Positivity on social media increased by 36% Brand love increased by 11% #RealBeautyIsUniversal trended twice on Twitter. But most importantly, every woman felt like a beauty queen on Miss Universe Day.

The Situation

Dove has always been a strong advocate of real beauty, challenging the conventional standards of beauty dictated by our environment. But in a beauty-obsessed country like the Philippines, Dove was losing relevance. So the brand took the perfect opportunity of delivering their message during the most-watched event in the Philippines: the Miss Universe pageant. With Dove's well-known brand positioning on real beauty, they used the most contrasting and hence most powerful context to remind every woman that there isn't one standard of beauty... and that real beauty is universal. Reversing the behavior of internalized misogyny amongst women.

The Strategy

No matter how much Dove promotes real beauty to the Philippine market, it just doesn’t stick. Filipinas are still obsessed with a specific standard of beauty – long legs, long hair, white skin, perfect figure. So we found the perfect context to convey the message in a powerful, memorable way. Dove chose the perfect timing to express our view on progressive beauty by launching a film that liberated women from the stereotype. Right after the pageant aired, we road blocked key local and cable channels in the Philippines. The TV ad aired for 2 weeks when conversation and news around the pageant was at its highest. The film was also launched on digital, and in out-of-home spots that were next to the Ms. Universe announcements. Dove encouraged women to celebrate different kinds of beauty as a way to prevent them from derogating each other.