dove brandbook

Th is is Dove.

T O A L L O W

us to speak w ith one vo ice .

T O H E L P

us susta in the leve l of grow th

Dove has en joyed in recent years .

T O I N S P I R E

us to produce work that makes

our consum ers take not ice ,

that makes our compet itors jea lous ,

and that makes us proud .

W hy w e created th is book .

T O D E F I N E

w hat Dove is , w hat it isn’t ,

w hat w e want it to be .

T O I N F O R M

everyth ing creat ed

in the nam e of Dove .

T O P R O V I D E

a v is ion to gu ide us as w e take

Dove into ne w categories .

Th is is Dove.

H O W D O V E C A M E T O B E 0 7

T H E T A R G E T 13

T H E I N S I G H T 2 5

T H E P R O M I S E 2 9

T H E D O V E W A Y 3 5

V A L U E S & P E R S O N A L I T Y 3 9

V O I C E 6 9

B E A U T Y T H E O R Y 7 5

T H E D I S C R I M I N A T O R 10 5

T H E E S S E N C E 10 9

I N C L O S I N G 113

How Dove cam e to be .19

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I N 1 9 8 1 , Dove ’s f irst d irect marke t ing e ffort , w h ich

inc luded an at-hom e L itmus t est , was ma i led to

U .S. consum ers .

I N 1 9 8 8 , a charismatic and memorable ( and anything

but stereotypical ) “beauty ” named Jean Shy joyfully

shared her discovery of Dove’s benefits w ith te levi-

sion viewers, and Dove’s “ Conviction of Users ” testi-

monial campaign was born. Dove bar achieved its first

double -digit share in the U.S.

I N 1 9 6 9 , Testimonials from real women were used for

the first time to advertise Dove . W ith each decade ,

more women heard Dove’s prom ise , more women

tried it, and more women were converted. Its creamy

pouring shot became a Dove brand property.

I N 1 9 7 9 , an independent clinical study proved the

Dove bar m ilder than seventeen leading bar soaps.

Dermatologists recommended it. Newspaper articles

featured it. Friends told friends about it. A year later,

Dove started its formal medical program in the U .S.

How Dove cam e to be .

I N 1 9 5 7, T H E D O V E B E A U T Y B A R W A S I N T R O D U C E D I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S .

I T P R O M I S E D W O M E N T H A T I T W O U L D N ’ T D R Y T H E I R S K I N

T H E W AY S O A P D I D . W O M E N T R I E D I T . A N D I T D I D N ’ T. T H U S B E G A N A V E R Y

T R U S T I N G R E L A T I O N S H I P B E T W E E N T H E B R A N D A N D I T S U S E R S .

19

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I N 1 9 8 9 , Dove was launched in Ita ly us ing the

“ Conv ict ion of Users ” test imon ia l campa ign , as w e ll

as the m ed ica l program . Test markets in France and

G ermany fo llow ed in 1990 .

I N 1 9 9 1 , Dove began its g loba l ro llout . A ne w adver-

t is ing idea deve loped in Canada —“ L itmus Test”—

added a pow erfu l w eapon to Dove ’s com mun icat ion

arsena l: the use of ob ject ive proof.

19

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I N 1 9 9 5 , Dove took its first significant step outside

the cleansing bar category in the U .S. w ith the launch

of Moisturizing Body Wash . Around the world , addi-

tional categories sw iftly follow ed: deodorants in 1997

and body lot ions in 1998 .

I N 1999, Dove was successfu lly launched in Japan .

And in 2000 , the Dove Ha ir Care launch took p lace in

Tai wan , follow ed by an aggressive rollout during 20 01

and 20 02 .

198

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D O V E E X I S T S T O D AY in over 80 countries and is one

of Un ilever ’s fastest-grow ing brands . Dove is a brand

bu ilt on a s imp le and enduring princ ip le: make the

consumer a real prom ise , and keep it. Consistently.

The Target.

12

“ O N E I S N O T B O R N A W O M A N ; O N E B E C O M E S O N E .”

— Simone de Beauvoir

the target15

the target1716

S A F F R O N “I’m very happy with the way I am. I certainly don’t go around thinking, ‘Oh my God, does my bum look big in this.’ ”

There is a po int when a woman d iscovers who she is . W hen she

stops the frantic search and accepts herse lf, imperfections and a ll.

W hen she is gu ided by what fe e ls right to her, not by what fe e ls

right to others . Th is understand ing com es to som e wom en at 20 ,

to others at 50 , to som e , never.

O ur target is more mature , more accept ing of herse lf. That ’s not

to say she ’s perfect , or w ithout her share of insecurit ies . It just

m eans she is more centered .

the target19

The “center of grav ity ” of her se lf- este e m lies more in how she

fe e ls than in how she looks . It has more to do w ith how compe-

tent she fe e ls in dea ling w ith life ( be it work , p lay, re lat ionsh ips ,

or parent ing ) and w ith how good she fe e ls about herse lf.

She w ill be flattered by a comp lim ent about her looks , but she

may not not ice if she does not ge t one for a fe w days . She is

un like ly to check her lipst ick severa l t im es in a day.

F E R N A N D A “ When you have an active life, when you’re fine with your family, you get more open to meeting people. I think you get more beautiful.”

18

the target21

The fact that how she fe e ls is paramount to our target doesn’t

m ean she ’s g iven up on how she looks . She ’s ke en ly interested

in beauty. But she won’t use it as a too l, nor ne ed it as a crutch .

Is she w illing to transform herse lf in the nam e of beauty? Yes .

Just not into som eone other than herse lf. Is she w illing to spend

enormous amounts of t im e or money, or to w ithstand pa in for

the sake of beauty? No . H ers is a beauty quest w ith lim its .

“ I’d do things for beauty but I wouldn’t go to an extreme, you know?”

D A N I E L A

the target23

She can discern hype from quality, and w ill happily pay a prem ium

for the latter. She is in that group of women who could be called

“beauty pragmatists.” To her, the cost of a beauty product isn’t the

main issue . What she is interested in is whether it is going to work.

“ I’d rather have fewer quality items than a whole wardrobe full of cheap T-shirts.”

J U L I A

22

The Ins ight

24

the insight27

T H E W O R L D I S E X P L O D I N G W I T H T E C H N O L O G Y, fake ingredients , pseudo solutions , and virtual everything .

Credible authorities are harder and harder to find, in any culture . There is decreasing opportunity for real human

contact, for real answers, for the joy of real sensation. As a result, consumers are increasingly attracted to the

authentic, the “un-hyped ,” to people , institutions and brands that represent the real deal.

D O V E ’ S G U I D I N G I N S I G H T I S : T H E Y E A R N I N G F O R T H E R E A L

Dove can ans w er th is yearn ing . W ithout any redefin ing , w ithout

any stre tch ing . Dove is firm ly rooted in rea lity. From its earliest

beg inn ings as a c leans ing bar, Dove de livered rea l benefits , rea l

sat isfact ions , both funct iona lly and e mot iona lly.

The Prom ise

28

the pro m ise31

F U N C T I O N A L P R O M I S E

Dove w ill constant ly e levate and there fore redefine the standard

of care in every category it enters . Dove prom ises its consum er

that it w ill make no product that does not genu ine ly improve the

cond it ion and fe e l of her sk in / ha ir.

W H A T A D O V E P R O D U C T W I L L D O : _It w ill work . It w ill be h igh ly e fficac ious .

_It w ill be perce ivab ly superior.

_It w ill make a genu ine , not iceab le d ifference in the sk in / ha ir fe e l.

_It w ill have “endorsab le” m ildness .

_It w ill look and fe e l good . The product and package w ill be

beaut ifu lly tact ile , and w ill re ward the senses .

the pro m ise33

E M O T I O N A L P R O M I S E

Dove g ives a woman a h igh ly persona l, unexaggerated , up lift ing

litt le fe e ling about her ow n beauty. And because it is a private and

sma ll fe e ling , it is actua lly b igger and more m ean ingfu l to her.

32

The Dove Way

34

the dove way37

There is a d ist inct ive Dove Way, and it informs and gu ides every-

th ing to do w ith the brand . It encompasses: Dove ’s va lues and

persona lity, Dove ’s vo ice and Dove ’s po int of v ie w on beauty.

I T I S W H A T M A K E S T H I S B R A N D W H A T I T I S .

T H E D O V E W A Y

Va lues & Persona l ity

the dove way3938

“ P E R S O N A L I T Y I S A N U N B R O K E N S E R I E S O F S U C C E S S F U L G E S T U R E S .”

— T he Great Gatsby

Dove is Rea l.

Dove is a Keeper of Prom ises .

Dove is Beaut ifu lly Uncomp licated .

Dove is O pt im ist ic .

Dove is T im e less .

the dove way va lues & persona lity4140


Dove is Rea l.

D O V E S E E K S R E A L M E A N I N G . R E A L R E L E V A N C E.

Dove won’t make a product un less it understands its de eper

m ean ing and re levance in a consum er ’s life . Dove w ill be better

than its compet itors at uncovering true ins ights . Dove ’s product

and advert is ing concepts w ill ho ld m ean ingfu l prom ises . Its cre-

at ive briefs w ill offer the c learest d irect ion to creat ive teams .

Dove is “alive”, aware of the issues facing its consumers . And it

w ill often share a point of vie w about them . Dove draws its cre-

ative inspiration from lived experiences and emotions . It w ill never

use “ad- land ” spe ech . Because it be l ieves that language draw n

from reality w ill al ways hold more meaning .

N . B . Dove’s Real is never ugly or depressing. Nor passive or boring. Real is not a value to be talked about, it is a value to be demonstrated. It is much more than a look or feel.

D O V E I S F I R M LY C O N N E C T E D T O T H E R E A L W O R L D.

42

the dove way va lues & persona lity 45

Dove is a Keeper of Prom ises.

Dove ’s performance drives an enduring re lat ionsh ip w ith its users .

Un like w hat she does w ith most brands , the Dove consum er fe e ls

litt le , if any, ne ed to “d iscount ” the prom ises made by Dove to a

leve l she is prepared to be lieve in. There is a perception that “ if Dove

says it, it must be true .” This should be nurtured and protected.

D O V E ’ S P R O M I S E S A R E T A N G I B L E , P E R C E I V A B L E A N D P R O V A B L E .

44

Dove is Beautifu lly Uncomp licated .

the dove way va lues & persona lity 47

the dove way va lues & persona lity beautifu lly unco m p licated49

Se lf-assured enough to be uncomp l icat ed . It is c l ean . Pure .

E l egant ly s i mp l e . Its s i mp l ic it y doesn’t trans lat e to co ld , bas ic

or boring . Rather, there ’s a modern it y to it . A stunn ing ly s i mp l e

beauty. A look and fe e l that lacks e mbe l l ishm ent , because it

s i mp ly doesn’t ne ed it .

D O V E I S C O N F I D E N T E N O U G H T O B E U N C L U T T E R E D.

48


Dove’s simplicity doesn’t needgratuitous touches. ( T O P )

…And should never feel cold. ( B O T T O M )

Dove’s simplicity should never be basic or boring.

T H I S I S . T H I S I S N ’ T.T H I S I S . T H I S I S N ’ T.

52

Dove is Optim istic .


the dove way va lues & persona lity opti m istic57

It se es the potent ia l in its consum er and se ts out to make the

most of w hat she has , rather than to fix w hat she doesn’t . Dove

is up lift ing , right dow n to its nam e . It is a brand nam e that sym-

bo lizes hope , happ iness , peace and a ll th ings pos it ive . There is

noth ing contrived or over the top about Dove ’s opt im ism .

D O V E I S A B E A R E R O F G O O D N E W S .

the dove way va lues & persona lity opti m istic61

Dove’s optimism isn’t the superficial“spring in your step,” “ happy face” kind.

T H I S I S N ’ T. T H I S I S N ’ T.

60

Dove is T im e less.


the dove way va lues & persona lity ti m e less6564

D O V E I S N O T T H E F L A V O R O F T H E M O N T H . R A T H E R ,

I T I S I C O N I C. I T I S E N D U R I N G .

Because it is enduring , Dove ’s

t im e lessness can be very “ h ip

But not trendy, funky, or try ing

too hard to be modern . Dove is

a conte mporary c lass ic .

.”

64

the dove way va lues & persona lity ti m e less67the dove xxxxxxxxx & xxxxxxxx: xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx 66

Dove should never be seen as trying to be trendy, or trying too hard to be modern.

T H I S I S . T H I S I S N ’ T.

66

the dove xxxxxxxxx & xxxxxxxx: xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx69the dove xxxxxxxxx & xxxxxxxx: xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx 68

T H E D O V E W A Y

Vo ic e

68 the dove way69

the dove way vo ice 7170

Whatever Dove says must ring true . Its voice is clean and clear,

pure and uncluttered . It is eye leve l and unpretentious .

Dove speaks only when it has something to say. Its vocabulary con-

tains no mumbo jumbo, no “ad-land ” clichés, no hype , no puffery.

Dove doesn’t “se ll itse lf ” or boast. This in no way means Dove

doesn’t indict its competition. This is the brand that was built on

indictment. (“ Dove doesn’t dry your skin the way soap can.”) But its

purpose in using indictment is to let the consumer know what un-

met need has now been met, not to point a finger at the competition.

the dove way vo ice7372

Dove is never presumptuous or patron iz ing . It doesn’t take it

upon itse lf to te ll consum ers that it “know s w hat they want ” or

w hat to th ink . Dove is never judgm enta l. And though it ’s s incere ,

it ’s far from overly earnest . Dove has a sense of humor, but it

doesn’t try to be “ funny.”

Dove speaks to one person at a t im e , no matter how many peo-

p le may be listen ing . Its vo ice is persona l, int imate . It makes the

consum er fe e l she ’s be ing ta lked to as an ind iv idua l.

O ften , and as much as poss ib le , Dove w ill e mbrace the vo ice of

its users , rather than impose its ow n . W hen Dove users speak for

the brand , it is a vo ice of shared d iscovery — one woman to

another— about how Dove has proved itse lf to her.

W hen Dove offers ob ject ive ev idence , it is just that — ob ject ive .

It presents the facts and lets the consum er reach her ow n con-

clusion . It is never an onslaught of information , rather, an offering .

And as Dove begins to speak in ne w voices , these should fee l

fresh and ne w, but still true to Dove .

the dove xxxxxxxxx & xxxxxxxx: xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx75the dove xxxxxxxxx & xxxxxxxx: xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx 74

T H E D O V E W A Y

Beaut y Theory

74 the dove way75

the dove way beauty theory is7776

Un like its compet itors , Dove makes it c lear that it se es beauty in

imperfect ions , and doesn’t worsh ip stereotypes . Dove ’s beauty

is se lf-defined , beauty w ith bra ins , de mocrat ic . Dove recogn izes

not on ly the exterior, but a lso the woman w ith in . There is depth

of character beh ind the eyes , a strength and v ita l ity of person-

a l ity show ing through .

Dove doesn’t insu lt wom en by dep ict ing the m w ith arrow s or

squ igg les draw n across the ir faces . A lthough it is natura l, Dove ’s

beauty does not look like the c liché of natura l beauty, of “ fresh

faces ,” or of “ w ind b low ing across the face .”

A N D I N C A S E Y O U A R E W O N D E R I N G ,

D O V E ’ S B E A U T Y L O O K S B E A U T I F U L .

When Dove captures a moment of emotion, it feels unguarded and very personal. It is never faked.

C A P T U R E S A M O M E N T

C A P T U R E S A M O M E N TC A P T U R E S A M O M E N T

C A P T U R E S A M O M E N T

Dove’s beauty should be portrayed with uncluttered photography that does not camouflage the depth of a woman’s beuty.

S T Y L E O F P H O T O G R A P H Y

S T Y L E O F P H O T O G R A P H Y

Dove’s beauty captures the strength of character behind the eyes.

S T R E N G T H O F C H A R A C T E R

S T R E N G T H O F C H A R A C T E R S T R E N G T H O F C H A R A C T E R

S T R E N G T H O F C H A R A C T E R

the dove way beauty theory is not9594


Dove’s beauty is not the cliché,fresh, natural beauty.



Dove’s beauty is natural ,but never unattractive.



Dove’s beauty is not the seen-everywhere,undistinctive, clean look.



Dove’s beauty should neverfeel posed.



Dove’s beaut y is not the stereot ypicalmodel beauty.

The D iscrim inator

104

106 the d iscri m inator107

_In each of its categories, Dove w ill have an important, meaningful

functional discrim inator of superior care . This w ill most often be

re lated to moisturization .

_Dove ’s value of Real.

_Dove ’s Beauty Theory.

The Essence.

108

110 the essence111

Beauty W ithoutArtifice

Th is Essence gu ides us to bu ild Dove into a true beauty care

icon , w h ile honoring our un ique po int of v ie w on beauty, ste ering

away from puffery, c luttered m essages and c lichés . It gu ides us

to g ive our consum ers beauty prom ises and products that ho ld

rea l m ean ing and performance .

112

In closing.

in closing115114

“ I F Y O U S E A R C H F O R T R U T H , Y O U W I L L F I N D B E A U T Y .

I F Y O U S E A R C H F O R B E A U T Y, Y O U W I L L F I N D V A N I T Y .”

— Moishe Safvie

in closing117116

Th is book has be en deve loped by the Dove G loba l Brand Teams

(Sk in , Ha ir, D eodorants )— to insp ire our e fforts to bu ild Dove into

a 4 b illion beauty care brand by 2006 . It is ded icated to a ll those

w hose past e fforts have made the brand w hat it is today, and to

those w hose future e fforts , pass ion , imag inat ion and persever-

ance w ill make th is brand even greater.

C

dove brandbook

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