Dove Brand Book

This is Dove.

TO A L LOW

us to speak with one voice.

TO H E L P

us sustain the level of growth

Dove has enjoyed in recent years.

TO I N S P I R E

us to produce work that makes

our consumers take notice,

that makes our competitors jealous,

and that makes us proud.

Why we created this book.

T O D E F I N E

what Dove is, what it isn’t,

what we want it to be.

T O I N F O R M

everything created

in the name of Dove.

TO P R OV I D E

a vision to guide us as we take

Dove into new categories.

This is Dove.

H O W D OV E C A M E T O B E 07

T H E TA R G E T 13

T H E I N S I G H T 25

T H E P R O M I S E 29

T H E D OV E WAY 35

VA L U E S & P E R S O N A L I T Y 39

VO I C E 69

B E A U T Y T H E O R Y 75

T H E D I S C R I M I N AT O R 105

T H E E S S E N C E 109

I N C LO S I N G 113

How Dove came to be.19

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6

I N 19 81 , Dove’s first direct marketing effort, which

included an at-home Litmus test, was mailed to

U.S. consumers.

I N 1988, a charismatic and memorable (and anything

but stereotypical ) “beauty” named Jean Shy joyfully

shared her discovery of Dove’s benefits with televi-

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 1969 , Testimonials from real women were used for

the first time to advertise Dove. With each decade,

more women heard Dove’s promise, more women

tried it, and more women were converted. Its creamy

pouring shot became a Dove brand property.

I N 1979 , an independent clinical study proved the

Dove bar milder 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 came to be.

I N 1957, T H E D OV E B E A U T Y B A R WA S I N T R O D U C E D I N T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S .

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

T H E WAY 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 RY

T R U S T I N G R E L AT 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 1989 , Dove was launched in Italy using the

“Conviction of Users” testimonial campaign, as well

as the medical program. Test markets in France and

Germany followed in 1990.

I N 1991 , Dove began its global rollout. A new adver-

tising idea developed in Canada —“Litmus Test”—

added a powerful weapon to Dove’s communication

arsenal: the use of objective proof.

19

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I N 1995 , Dove took its first significant step outside

the cleansing bar category in the U.S. with the launch

of Moisturizing Body Wash. Around the world, addi-

tional categories swiftly followed: deodorants in 1997

and body lotions in 1998.

IN 1999, Dove was successfully launched in Japan.

And in 2000, the Dove Hair Care launch took place in

Taiwan, followed by an aggressive rollout during 2001

and 2002.

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D OV E E X I S T S TO DAY in over 80 countries and is one

of Unilever’s fastest-growing brands. Dove is a brand

built on a simple and enduring principle: make the

consumer a real promise, and keep it. Consistently.

The Target.

12

“O N E I S N OT B O R N A WO 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 point when a woman discovers who she is. When she

stops the frantic search and accepts herself, imperfections and all.

When she is guided by what feels right to her, not by what feels

right to others. This understanding comes to some women at 20,

to others at 50, to some, never.

Our target is more mature, more accepting of herself. That’s not

to say she’s perfect, or without her share of insecurities. It just

means she is more centered.

the target19

The “center of gravity” of her self-esteem lies more in how she

feels than in how she looks. It has more to do with how compe-

tent she feels in dealing with life (be it work, play, relationships,

or parenting ) and with how good she feels about herself.

She will be flattered by a compliment about her looks, but she

may not notice if she does not get one for a few days. She is

unlikely to check her lipstick several times in a day.

F E R N A N DA “ 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 feels is paramount to our target doesn’t

mean she’s given up on how she looks. She’s keenly interested

in beauty. But she won’t use it as a tool, nor need it as a crutch.

Is she willing to transform herself in the name of beauty? Yes.

Just not into someone other than herself. Is she willing to spend

enormous amounts of time or money, or to withstand pain for

the sake of beauty? No. Hers is a beauty quest with limits.

“ I’d do things for beauty

but I wouldn’t go to

an extreme, you know?”

DA N I E L A

the target23

She can discern hype from quality, and will happily pay a premium

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 Insight

24

the insight27

T H E W O R L D I S E X P LO D I N G W I T H T E C H N O LO 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 OV 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 answer this yearning. Without any redefining, without

any stretching. Dove is firmly rooted in reality. From its earliest

beginnings as a cleansing bar, Dove delivered real benefits, real

satisfactions, both functionally and emotionally.

The Promise

28

the promise31

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

Dove will constantly elevate and therefore redefine the standard

of care in every category it enters. Dove promises its consumer

that it will make no product that does not genuinely improve the

condition and feel of her skin / hair.

W H AT A D OV E P R O D U C T W I L L D O : _It will work. It will be highly efficacious.

_It will be perceivably superior.

_It will make a genuine, noticeable difference in the skin / hair feel.

_It will have “endorsable” mildness.

_It will look and feel good. The product and package will be

beautifully tactile, and will reward the senses.

the promise33

E M OT I O N A L P RO M I S E

Dove gives a woman a highly personal, unexaggerated, uplifting

little feeling about her own beauty. And because it is a private and

small feeling, it is actually bigger and more meaningful to her.

32

The Dove Way

34

the dove way37

There is a distinctive Dove Way, and it informs and guides every-

thing to do with the brand. It encompasses: Dove’s values and

personality, Dove’s voice and Dove’s point of view on beauty.

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

T H E D OV E WAY

Values & Personality

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 Real.

Dove is a Keeper of Promises.

Dove is Beautifully Uncomplicated.

Dove is Optimistic.

Dove is Timeless.

the dove way values & personality4140


Dove is Real.

D OV 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 VA N C E.

Dove won’t make a product unless it understands its deeper

meaning and relevance in a consumer’s life. Dove will be better

than its competitors at uncovering true insights. Dove’s product

and advertising concepts will hold meaningful promises. Its cre-

ative briefs will offer the clearest direction to creative teams.

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

will often share a point of view about them. Dove draws its cre-

ative inspiration from lived experiences and emotions. It will never

use “ad-land”speech. Because it believes that language drawn

from reality will always 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 OV E I S F I R M LY C O N N E C T E D TO T H E R E A L WO R L D.

42

the dove way values & personality 45

Dove is a Keeper of Promises.

Dove’s performance drives an enduring relationship with its users.

Unlike what she does with most brands, the Dove consumer feels

little, if any, need to “discount” the promises made by Dove to a

level she is prepared to believe in. There is a perception that “if Dove

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

D OV E ’S P RO M I S E S A R E TA N G I B L E , P E RC E I VA B L E A N D P ROVA B L E .

44

Dove is Beautifully Uncomplicated.

the dove way values & personality 47

the dove way values & personality beautifully uncomplicated49

Self-assured enough to be uncomplicated. It is clean. Pure.

Elegantly simple. Its simplicity doesn’t translate to cold, basic

or boring. Rather, there’s a modernity to it. A stunningly simple

beauty. A look and feel that lacks embellishment, because it

simply doesn’t need it.

D OV 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 need

gratuitous touches. (TO P )

…And should never feel cold. (B OT TO 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 Optimistic.


the dove way values & personality optimistic57

It sees the potential in its consumer and sets out to make the

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

is uplifting, right down to its name. It is a brand name that sym-

bolizes hope, happiness, peace and all things positive. There is

nothing contrived or over the top about Dove’s optimism.

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

the dove way values & personality optimistic61

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 isTimeless.


the dove way values & personality timeless6564

D OV E I S N OT T H E F L AVO R O F T H E M O N T H . R AT 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

timelessness can be very “hip

But not trendy, funky, or trying

too hard to be modern. Dove is

a contemporary classic.

.”

64

the dove way values & personality timeless67the 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 OV E WAY

Voice

68 the dove way69

the dove way voice 7170

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

pure and uncluttered. It is eye level 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 “sell itself” 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 voice7372

Dove is never presumptuous or patronizing. It doesn’t take it

upon itself to tell consumers that it “knows what they want”or

what to think. Dove is never judgmental. And though it’s sincere,

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 time, no matter how many peo-

ple may be listening. Its voice is personal, intimate. It makes the

consumer feel she’s being talked to as an individual.

Often, and as much as possible, Dove will embrace the voice of

its users, rather than impose its own. When Dove users speak for

the brand, it is a voice of shared discovery— one woman to

another— about how Dove has proved itself to her.

When Dove offers objective evidence, it is just that— objective.

It presents the facts and lets the consumer reach her own con-

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

And as Dove begins to speak in new voices, these should feel

fresh and new, but still true to Dove.

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

T H E D OV E WAY

Beauty Theory

74 the dove way75

the dove way beauty theory is7776

Unlike its competitors, Dove makes it clear that it sees beauty in

imperfections, and doesn’t worship stereotypes. Dove’s beauty

is self-defined, beauty with brains, democratic. Dove recognizes

not only the exterior, but also the woman within. There is depth

of character behind the eyes, a strength and vitality of person-

ality showing through.

Dove doesn’t insult women by depicting them with arrows or

squiggles drawn across their faces. Although it is natural, Dove’s

beauty does not look like the cliché of natural beauty, of “fresh

faces,” or of “wind blowing across the face.”

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

D OV 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 OTO G R A P H Y

S T Y L E O F P H OTO 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 AC T E R

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

S T R E N G T H O F C H A R AC 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 never

feel posed.



Dove’s beaut y is not the stereot ypical

model beauty.

The Discriminator

104

106 the discriminator107

_In each of its categories, Dove will have an important, meaningful

functional discriminator of superior care. This will most often be

related to moisturization.

_Dove’s value of Real.

_Dove’s Beauty Theory.

The Essence.

108

110 the essence111

Beauty WithoutArtifice

This Essence guides us to build Dove into a true beauty care

icon, while honoring our unique point of view on beauty, steering

away from puffery, cluttered messages and clichés. It guides us

to give our consumers beauty promises and products that hold

real meaning and performance.

112

In closing.

in closing115114

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

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

— Moishe Safvie

in closing117116

This book has been developed by the Dove Global Brand Teams

(Skin, Hair, Deodorants)—to inspire our efforts to build Dove into

a 4 billion beauty care brand by 2006. It is dedicated to all those

whose past efforts have made the brand what it is today, and to

those whose future efforts, passion, imagination and persever-

ance will make this brand even greater.

C

© 20 02 L E V E R B R O T H E R S C O M PA N Y

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Dove Brand Book