(Baby brain alert!)
Unilever’s Dove and Dove Men+Care are proud parents of Baby Dove, the brand’s first major category extension since launch of the aforementioned men’s line seven years ago. The new line of baby washes, lotions and wipes kicks off with a digital video today to be followed by a broader digital, TV and #RealMoms social campaign.
“Baby Dove is building on the 60-year heritage of cleansing and care and moisturization of the Dove brand,” said Nick Soukas, VP of Dove. One of the key insights behind the products is that baby skin loses moisture five times faster than adult skin, so Dove’s heritage of moisturizing products fits particularly well, he said. Beyond the moisturizing heritage, Dove has been squarely focused on moms and dads with its existing product lines for years, making the leap to babies fairly easy. Marketing for Dove Men+Care in particular has been focused on men’s roles as fathers since day one.
But Baby Dove will be focused on the primary buyer in the category — moms — and in particular bucking up women’s self-esteem vs. pressure to be perfect. Instead of Real Beauty, think of it as a campaign for real parenting. Read more here.
By coming from a place of support, acceptance & advocacy, the campaign has won a typically critical “mom community” online. Initial fan reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, with comments like: “Love how inclusive Dove is for all walks of life, regardless of color, gender, and sexuality. Keep it up!” And popular mommy blogs have picked up on the conversation too, sharing the campaign with their own accompanying messages of positivity and in support of the launch. See examples here, here, and here.
Why it’s hot:
Being in tune with the role your brand plays in consumer lives + understanding the power of real consumer truths = A breakthrough campaign that will get the target audience sharing & talking.
On the heels of major mess ups (::cough, pepsi, cough::), it’s worth remembering that this simple combination of knowing your audience & knowing your brand can lead to a campaign that strikes a chord & feels right for the company.