Direct@ Work: Dove Evolution-The Makeover Made Better
Client:
Uniliver/Dove
Agency:
OgilvyOne
Campaign Type:
Online, Mobile, Direct Response
Challenge:
“Campaignforrealbeauty is all about widening the definition of beauty and the fund overlays the mission with active social good. It’s the proof that Dove’s message is more than marketing.”
Dove’s 2006 white paper revealed that moms have a greater influence on their daughters’ self-esteem than do media or celebrities. This insight was surprising, given our fameobsessed culture, and it became the foundation for the work.
Solution:
Evolution is a mesmerizing demonstration of the simple truth that even models don’t look like models. They’re a fabrication of hair stylists, makeup artists, photographers, lighting technicians, retouchers and other magicians. The model in the film was shot by a high-end-fashion photographer and Photoshopped to within an inch of her life. A time-lapse effect was applied to emphasize the distortion of perception.
With no media budget for the video, web channels were the perfect solution. Evolution was posted on the landing page of campaignforrealbeauty.ca, emailed to Dove opt-in and other relevant subscribers, and posted on Google Video and YouTube. Within 24 hours, Dove Evolution had over one million views, and within two weeks, this number had increased to two million views and 22 postings. It was the most viewed spot during launch week and received compliments in the comments section from the founders of YouTube themselves!
Results:
Evolution achieved so much more than just the original goal of encouraging participation at workshops (which it did, by the way). The video has dramatically raised the profile of Dove all around the world as a brand that lives its ideals. In fact, a 2007 poll in the advertising community ranked Dove third behind YouTube and Google as the brand that most transformed itself that year.
The video won the first double Grand Prix in the history of the Cannes Lions – the Grand Prix Cyber Lion as an online viral film and the Grand Prix for Film as a TV commercial, among many other awards.
The Wall Street Journal named Evolution as one of the “Best Ads of 2007” and it received the majority of votes from readers for “Best Ad.” In USA Today, Evolution was voted “Best online viral video” by readers and ad experts in USA Today’s “2007 Best and Worst Commercial Review.” And Advertising Age gave the “Global Campaign of the Year” award to Dove, citing Evolution as the highlight.
The popularity of Evolution has given rise to some parodies, Slob Evolution being one of them. Parodies such as these actually reinforce and enhance the positive aspects of the beauty debate thanks to the authenticity of the Dove brand and the trust consumers feel for it.
Today, Evolution has been seen by 500 million people around the world. It’s had 10 million hits on YouTube. According to PR firm Edelman, it outperformed every Super Bowl commercial for the past 10 years, and generated over $150 million in media value. MindShare estimates the media value at tens of millions of dollars; Unilever itself says US $50,000,000. In other words: priceless.